Meet the "Telharmonium," the First Synthesizer (and Predecessor to Muzak), Invented in 1897

"Cahill invented the Telharmonium, also known as the Dynamaphone, to broadcast music over the telephone, making it a precursor to what we know today as 'Muzak.'"

"The final incarnation of the instrument, the Mark III, took 50 people to build at a cost of $200,000 and was 60 feet long, weighing almost 200 tons."

The Telharmonium, patented by Thaddeus Cahill in 1897, was an early electronic instrument designed to broadcast music over telephone lines. It served as a precursor to modern hold music and Muzak. Cahill's first prototype, the Mark I, was built in 1901 and weighed seven tons. The final version, the Mark III, was massive, requiring 50 people to build and costing $200,000. It was 60 feet long, weighed nearly 200 tons, and utilized over 2000 electric switches, typically played by two musicians.

Read at Open Culture