The War Hero Who Introduced Edison’s Phonograph to Europe

In this installment of ‘Profiles in History,’ George Gouraud begins life in tragedy but becomes the great promoter of American technology.

Medal of Honor recipient "The Colonel" George Gouraud later reinvented himself as phonograph agent for Thomas Edison in Europe. Public Domain

Within a month, 5-year-old George Edward Gouraud’s life was tragically altered. Both of his parents died, leaving the young boy orphaned along with his 9-year-old sister, Clemence. Fortunately, he was taken in by a kindly Quaker family and given a proper education. But when it came to pursuing a career, Gouraud chose a path taken by his parents—one of travel and invention.

The Daguerreotype Comes to America

Gouraud (1842–1912) was born in Niagara, New York, several years after his parents immigrated from France with his elder sister. Before arriving in America, his father, François, had been an associate of Louis Daguerre, inventor of the daguerreotype process of photography. Daguerre sent François to the United States to introduce the new photographic process to Americans. The elder Gouraud is considered the first to sell a camera in America.

François Gouraud, father of George Gouraud, 1845. Public Domain