Actually the caption that goes with that photograph explains what Ada is doing in the photo. Here it is: The rather plain woman pictured right, trying her hand at the telegraph key, is the remarkable Ada Jones, a name that even the most casual of explorers of early phonograph history will encounter time and again, be the medium cylinders or discs.
Despite bouts with epilepsy, Jones was incredibly prolific --- producing recordings in great numbers for just about every phonograph label of her day, and in a myriad of voices that could (and did) in one recording session effortlessly switch between the Bowery coquette, an old Southern "Mammy," ladies of German, Irish, Jewish, Italian or Swedish origin and just the simple working girl experiencing the pleasures and mechanical traps of the early 20th century --- subway trains, amusement parks, nickelodeons, dance-halls and quick service restaurants. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Douglas Houston" <cdh...@earthlink.net> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@oldcrank.org> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 9:42 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Re: Ada Jones, Unmarked Grave > That photo would be dated by the crystal set. I would guess that she is > listening to a (verrrry early) broadcast, and if so, it would have to be > after 1920, when broadasting first began. She died shortly after 1920, as > we know, but we also know that she did very few public appearances because > of hre epileptic problem. Thus, her aged appearance would never have > mattered. Does that sound right? > > >> [Original Message] >> From: BruceY <bruce78...@comcast.net> >> To: Antique Phonograph List <phono-l@oldcrank.org> >> Date: 4/13/2008 9:30:04 PM >> Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Re: Ada Jones, Unmarked Grave >> >> Wow here is a photo of Ada, I had never seen before, I know she had > gotten >> quite matronly over the years but in this one, she is extremely heavy. > An >> interesting photo of the First Lady of the Phonograph none the less. >> > http://bp3.blogger.com/_bdtuKKCTCf4/RtdCEcT1B3I/AAAAAAAADXU/39kIJ5IW6Ns/s160 > 0-h/Ada+Jones+-+Telegraph.jpg >> >> Click on it and it will fill the screen. >> >> Bruce >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Loran T. Hughes" <lo...@oldcrank.com> >> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@oldcrank.org> >> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 7:57 PM >> Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Re: Ada Jones, Unmarked Grave >> >> >> > Brantley, >> > >> > Cemeteries keep records of who is buried where... even if the > gravesite >> > is unmarked. >> > >> > Loran >> > >> > On Apr 13, 2008, at 4:54 PM, kugl...@wmconnect.com wrote: >> > >> >> What I want to know is how did Milford know that this unmarked grave >> >> stone >> >> was Ada's grave? Now I am totally confused. I think the CSI Miami >> >> forensic >> >> team should get involved here. >> >> >> >> Brantley >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Phono-L mailing list >> > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Phono-L mailing list >> http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
