Victorian1899 · 02:40
Parlour Carols (Phonograph Cylinder)
One of the earliest recorded carols — a wax cylinder, warbling and ghostly.
Collection No. 2
The Radio Hour
Pull up a chair, the tubes are warming up…
From the phonograph
Vintage Parlor Carols
A softly crackling choral recording from October 3, 1917, for a quiet evening by the tree.
0:00 / 3:09
Now on the turntable
Silent Night, Holy Night
Trinity Choir · 1917 · 3:09
Silent Night, Holy Night · Library of Congress National Jukebox · Original record · Audio archive
The record stack
Historic recordings published before 1923, public domain in the United States. Audio preserved by the Library of Congress; copies courtesy of the Hessel Digital Library on Internet Archive.
From the Archive Notebook
Imagined broadcast notes — these entries do not have recordings attached.
1920s–30s1931 · 14:20
Christmas Eve on the Wireless
Families gathered round a cathedral-shaped set for carols relayed live from a city church — static and all.
1920s–30s1938 · 28:45
A Christmas Carol, Dramatized
Radio drama made Scrooge a household voice; Grandpa swore he could hear the chains rattle.
Mid-Century1953 · 22:10
The Department Store Hour
Sponsored carols, toy announcements, and a jingle for electric trains you can still hum.
Mid-Century1959 · 09:30
Midnight Bells from Europe
Shortwave hiss gives way to church bells half a world away.
1970s–80s1978 · 31:05
Request Line Christmas
A local DJ takes calls until dawn — dedications to soldiers, sweethearts, and Aunt Marge.