Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

2-2025

Document Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

M.A.

Program

Digital Humanities

Advisor

Jeffrey Allred

Subject Categories

Children's and Young Adult Literature | Digital Humanities | English Language and Literature

Keywords

Caedmon Audio, Children's Literature, Audiobooks, Oral literature, Bubble Books, Recording

Abstract

The first known spoken-word recording was introduced to the world by Thomas Edison through the invention of the phonograph. Originally intended for a visually impaired audience to read without exertion, the first known recording was a recitation of the English nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb" by Edison himself. The inclusion of a children’s nursery rhyme since the genesis of such an invention has become significant in observing the rise and success of the audiobook industry and its direct impact in increasing literacy proficiency in children.

Interactions between children’s literature and the history of the audiobook have been many since Edison’s initial recording. Within this broad and rich history, I have focused on the fascinating story of Caedmon Audio. Formerly known as Caedmon Records, the company founded by best friends and Hunter College undergraduates Barbara Holdridge and Marianne Mantell nee Roney began as a business partnership aiming to remediate the work of great living authors through voice recordings. The two women believed that the recordings captured the emotion the authors had felt when the work was first written down. Through their efforts, audiobooks became a staple for the general public as opposed to one specifically catered to the disabled. In recounting the vibrant timeline of this company, I specifically investigated their interesting foray into children’s literature and their hand in creating a market niche for audio formats in children’s books.

My project is divided into four sections, each featured on a designed WordPress website hosted on the Cuny Academic Commons. Each section features a significant moment in Caedmon Audio’s involvement with children’s book recordings as well as a section discussing its precursor, the novelty phenomenon of the 1900’s known as Bubble Books. To provide visual context to audiobooks of yester year featured on my website, I have also provided a gallery section with images gathered from reseller and archival sites. The images display photos of Bubble Books and children’s vinyl's, as well as various advertisements pertaining to them.

The aim of my project lies in the desire to expand information on a company that is undoubtedly to thank for the modern-day audiobook industry. The shared efforts of the two female business partners behind Caedmon set precedent for the re-emergence of oral storytelling within the realm of technological innovation. The significance in looking into children’s literature in particular lies in the desire to spotlight an industry that seems to fail in getting credit for the benefactors it has provided for generations of youth to come. Base research on both of these topics seems sparse and obscure when it comes to the larger conversation surrounding audiobooks. This project serves as a digital exhibit to continue and broaden information out in the public sphere on not only children’s recordings but it’s interesting history within the context of Caedmon.

Additional Files
caedmon-records-20250206005807.warc (53798 kB)
Archived project website
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