ABSTRACT
In 1900, Americans were amazed to hear sound from a grooved disc and see moving images from a roll of celluloid even as they soon grew accustomed to experiencing audio entertainment in the home on the phonograph and video on the screen of the movie theater. Entertainment had once been found in listening to or joining local groups of people singing and playing instruments and viewing live plays at special times. These communal pleasures were gradually replaced by something new: Those entertainments were transformed into a largely private experience of listening to recorded music at home and viewing movies in a silent crowd at the theater. Yet, these experiences were often shared by millions across the nation and even globe. Compared to the old entertainment it was passive but allowed for far more choice in both what and when it was experienced.
