The Telharmonium, was patented by its inventor Thaddeus Cahill in 1897 (no. 580035). It is sometimes known as the first significant electric instrument. Its first completed model was exposed to the public in Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1906.
The Telharmonium, was itself a series of 145 modified dynamos (some of the first electrical generators capable of providing the power necessary for industrial work) which used numbers of geared shafts and inductors to produce different audio frequencies.
The sound of the instrument itself, came from horns built from piano soundboard (in earlier models), though forthcoming models would use a series of telephone receivers fitted with horns. Such horns were the only way to amplify sound in the pre-amplifier era.
It required two musicians to function as intended, and was used to produce the music of Bach, Grieg, Chopin, etc.
The entire creation weighed around 200 tons, and cost nearly $200,000. It came to occupy the entire floor of "Telharmonic Hall" on 39th and Broadway in New York City. The final model, produced in 1911, was installed at 535 west 56th street.
Despite it's massive size, the tones that could be coaxed from it were, flexible, and amusing. Though admittedly, it was prone to technical issues interfering with its function. It was technically portable, requiring around 30 railroad cars to do so.
(It also employed a 36-note per octave keyboard)
