Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, using a tinfoil cylinder to record and playback sound. While the phonograph was a groundbreaking invention, Edison's preferred format, the cylinder, was eventually superseded by the disc record. Cylinders were more expensive to produce, harder to store, and could not be mass-produced as easily as discs. Despite Edison's insistence on the superiority of the cylinder, the market eventually chose the disc, and the cylinder format became obsolete. This is a classic example of a superior technology losing out to a more commercially viable one.

The phonograph cylinder is a symbol of the 'format war,' a recurring theme in the history of technology. It has been used in poetry and literature as a metaphor for the struggle between quality and convenience, and the role of the market in shaping technological development. The cylinder's eventual obsolescence serves as a reminder that even the most innovative technologies can be overtaken by more practical alternatives, a theme that has been explored by poets who are interested in the nature of progress. Edison's stubbornness also makes him a tragic figure in this story.