The Dawn of Sound - Vintage audio on the net

What can be done when a one of a kind recording on cylinder or disc is in such a fragile state that the touch of a stylus could destroy the audio you are trying to preserve for posterity? What if the record can be played but is so worn out that the sounds are barely audible? What if you could take a photograph of the recording and play it back while omitting all the damage in the groove walls? IRENE can do just that. Developed at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, IRENE offers hope to archives around the world for recovering sounds from fragile and deteriorating media.

How Edison Got his Groove Back � KQED.