Unsound Supplies: Noisy Matter and the Making of Modern Soundscapes
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A Poor Instrument, Paper A Poor Instrument, Paper
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Common in Cleveland Common in Cleveland
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Material Biography Material Biography
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Stories of Supply Stories of Supply
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Wrapping Paper Wrapping Paper
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Notes Notes
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5 Paper: A Sonic Archaeology of Some Vegetable Fibers
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Published:15 October 2025
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Abstract
Abstract:
This chapter considers the history of paper as a sonic material. While paper is most recognizable as a material for visual communication, it has also been a means for working with sound—as a mechanism for inscribing utterances, a programming environment for musical reproduction, a substrate for the visualization of vibrations, and even as an instrument in its own right. Beginning from a media archaeological investigation of paper’s use for the production, transmission, and storage of sound, and concluding with a case study of its history in the telephone system, this chapter demonstrates that paper—though a technically poor medium for the supply of sound—has frequently served this role. Arguing that this is less a function of suitability than its availability as a cheap and prodigious material, paper has nevertheless served a critical, if often temporary, role as an experimental pathway technology for the storage and transmission of sound.
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| Month: | Total Views: |
|---|---|
| November 2025 | 2 |
| December 2025 | 4 |
| January 2026 | 2 |
| February 2026 | 5 |
| March 2026 | 13 |
| April 2026 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 4 |
| June 2026 | 4 |
| July 2026 | 3 |
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