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Wire recorders were the original magnetic recording technology, predating the modern tape recorder by 50 years. Instead of a coated plastic tape, they encoded audio magnetically on a thin steel wire. Their heyday was brief, lasting from 1945-1955 - after which the technology was superseded (except in specialized applications) by magnetic tape.
Edison Phonograph Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2DRLhFviFE
SOURCES:
https://www.nutsvolts.com/magazine/article/wirespondence
https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/webster-chicago/
https://museumofmagneticsoundrecording.org/Wire.html
https://www.cryptomuseum.com/covert/rec/minifon/special/index.htm