Hi All,  I had always wondered why the term "wax" referring to records
had persisted, when they have been made from various forms of plastic
for the last 90 years or so.

I found a lot of information on the history of recording materials
from "brown wax-like substance" to hard rubber vulcanite, shellac,
celluloid, Condensite (similar to Bakelite), acetate coated shellac,
"Vitrolac" vinyl plastic, cellulose acetate, Vinylite, and polystyrene.

As far as I know, the animal and plant sources of true wax, like
beeswax, carnauba wax, paraffin, (from petroleum, but started out as
plants), in the natural state, being too soft,  could not possibly be
used for recording purposes.

Could it be that one of these waxes was mixed with, say, fine clay, or
something similar to get the desired hardness that would be required?
If so, then maybe this would explain the reference to wax as used with
reference to the earliest Edison Cylinders?.

If someone can elucidate, I will no longer have to lay awake nights
wondering about it.

Thanks for any information you can supply.

Tom Lear
San Francisco, CA

 [ What was "Amberol"?  -- Robbie