Theo Wangemann

A. Theo E. Wangemann
Postcard to Thomas Edison from Berlin
Born	Adelbert Theodor Wangemann Berlin, Germany
Citizenship	Naturalized American
Occupation	Early recording engineer
Years active	1888–1906
Employer	Edison Laboratory
Known for	Recording Otto von Bismarck, Helmuth von Moltke, Johannes Brahms
Relatives	Hermann Theodor Wangemann, Otto Wangemann

Adelbert Theodor Edward Wangemann (February 13, 1855 – June 1906), known as Theo, was a German who emigrated to the United States. In 1888, he began working for Thomas Edison as an assistant at his laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey. In 1889, Edison sent Wangemann to keep the phonograph at the 1889 Paris Expo in good working condition. The trip was extended and Wangemann made numerous early sound recordings on wax cylinders, some of which were lost for more than 100 years. Found in 1957, but not revealed until 2012, they include the only known recording of Otto von Bismarck.

Wangemann was born in Berlin, Germany to Adalbert Theodor Wangemann (1815–1878) and Theodosia Sophie Ottilie Wangemann (née Rhenius) (?–1878). He and his older brother, born September 23, 1852, were named after their father. To distinguish them, he was called "Theo"; his first name also had a slight spelling change. He and his brothers later added third names, he added the name Edward; and his brother, Emil. By 1900, his brother had also changed his first name to Albert. The family was musical; his grandfather, Johannes Theodosius Wangemann, performed, directed, composed and taught music; and his cousin, Otto Wangemann, was an organist, composer and musicologist. His uncle, Otto's father, was also an organist.

Wangemann composed music, played and occasionally performed at the piano. Wangemann's father had a business selling paper goods and a factory where he manufactured envelopes and embossed monograms on writing paper. Both Wangemann and his brother worked there. His brother took over the business around 1876, but after their parents died in 1878 the brothers emigrated to the United States the following year, his brother in February and he, in August. He first settled in Chelsea, Massachusetts and later moved to Boston. In 1884, he moved to New York City, where he became a naturalized citizen on October 11, 1884.

Wangemann began working as an assistant to Thomas Edison at his laboratory in 1888, experimenting to find the best ways of recording music and voice. He has been called the world's first professional recording engineer, Recordings were made individually on wax cylinders, with no means of duplicating them. By December 1888, Wangemann had tried recording several originals at once, but this was insufficient to meet the request for the recordings, which were not yet being sold. Wangemann accompanied some performers on piano, ending with a brief seven-note "trademark" improvisation that annoyed some who heard these recordings. In March and April 1889, he recorded a number of musicians, including Hans von Bülow and John Knowles Paine.