From Cement Mixers to Personal Computers: Images of Technology in Commercial Recordings, 1910–2010

Popular recordings provide a valuable perspective into the influential role of technology in American life during the past century. This audio imagery, often direct in respect to depicting automobiles, computers, telephones, and railroads, is also frequently encountered in metaphorical references to personal relationships or professional goals. The following study utilizes more than 300 commercial recordings to illustrate audio commentaries on electronic and mechanical devices in households, at workplaces, in recreational settings, and as modes of physical mobility. A lengthy list of print resources supplements the numerous sound recordings cited within this article.