The first gramophone record was made from a material called shellac, which is a resin secreted by the lac bug found in India and Thailand. Shellac is a natural polymer that becomes hard and durable when mixed with fillers and pigments, making it an ideal material for producing records that could withstand repeated playing without wearing out. In the late 19th century, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, a device that could record and playback sound. However, the early phonograph records were made from soft materials like wax or rubber, which were easily damaged and had poor sound quality. It wasn't until Emile Berliner introduced the gramophone record in the 1890s that a more durable and higher quality material like shellac was used. Shellac records became the standard for the music industry for several decades, until the invention of vinyl records in the mid-20th century. Vinyl records offered better sound quality and were more lightweight and flexible than shellac, leading to their widespread adoption by the music industry. Despite the decline in popularity of shellac records, they are still prized by collectors for their nostalgic value and unique sound quality. Many vintage gramophones and record players are still in use today, playing old shellac records from the early 20th century. If you're interested in learning more about the history of gramophone records and how they are made, you can visit websites like [Gramophone Record History](www.historyofrecording.com/gramophone-record-history) for more information. There, you can delve deeper into the fascinating world of early sound recording technology and discover the role that shellac played in shaping the music industry as we know it today. In conclusion, the first gramophone record was made from shellac, a resin produced by the lac bug. This durable and long-lasting material revolutionized the music industry and paved the way for the development of modern vinyl records. Shellac records may be a thing of the past, but their legacy lives on in the hearts of music enthusiasts and collectors around the world.

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