NYT: The Phonoautogram of 1860.

A french girl sings a song, Au Clair de La'Lune.

But there is another version, from 1860. It's recorded on what was called a phonoautogram, which was not intended to reproduce sound, but create a visual interpretation of it. The French inventor was irritated by Edison's foray into the field 20 years later.

Here's the recording, and the story from the NYT. Haunting and beautiful in the haze of it's murky texture.