Take a step back in time and make plans to visit the second annual Antique Phonograph Demonstration and Show. The event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 22, at Trinity Lutheran Church of Colebrook, 58 Church Road, Manheim. It will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with demonstrations at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and a ragtime concert beginning at 3 p.m.

"The idea for the show came from our shared passion for the phonograph hobby and Nick's talent for organizing events," said Shawn Patrick, who is co-hosting the event with Nick Sieber. "We are also both members of the Antique Phonograph Society but had no local social outlet for members to get together to share their passion for the hobby." The pair hopes that holding events like this will increase interest in membership to the society and introduce the hobby to a new generation.

As Sieber explained, a phonograph is the instrument used to play back recorded sound inscribed on a record. "Most folks today are familiar with a 33 1/3 rpm record, whereas our hobby mainly focuses on the era of cylinder records and 78 rpm records," he shared. "Cylinder record production largely ended by the late 1920s, whereas 78s remained popular into the early 1950s."

Two renowned speakers - Chad Shapiro and Wyatt Markus - will present at the event.

"Chad is an incredibly knowledgeable collector and historian of Thomas Edison, who has amassed a collection of Edison artifacts that would make any museum envious," Patrick commented. "His interest in Edison also led to him collecting many items from the earliest days of electricity, including a world-class collection of early light bulbs going back to the 1870s."

Shapiro will share his knowledge of Edison and his contributions to perfecting the earliest phonographs, Patrick said.

"He will also be demonstrating an extremely rare, original Thomas Edison Tinfoil phonograph," Patrick remarked. "Guests will hear the first machine to ever reproduce the human voice. It was the birth of recorded sound as we know it today."

Markus specializes in reproducers or soundboxes, and he has also mastered recording onto wax cylinder records the way it was done in the 1890s, Patrick shared. "Wyatt will be demonstrating his talent by making a live recording onto a wax cylinder record," he noted. "This is something that is rarely seen by the general public and is a must-see for all who have an interest in early sound reproduction."

The phonograph show will also feature a live concert by Miss Maybell and Charlie Judkins.

"Miss Maybell and Charlie Judkins have played key roles in preserving music from the ragtime era and are proudly undertaking a project to digitally perform and record songs that may have never been recorded when originally released," Sieber said. "This is the first time some of these songs have ever been recorded since being published 120-plus years ago."

Maybell sings and plays several string instruments, while Charlie plays piano.

Audiences can expect to hear songs ranging from early jazz, blues and ragtime to early country-style music.

Visitors to the phonograph show are encouraged to bring records, phonographs or related pieces to swap or sell. A "swap meet" area will be set up, and, prior to the event, people who are interested in reserving a space should call Sieber at 717-598-8421 or Patrick at 717-490-0241. Markus will sell blank cylinder records for people to make their own home recordings, and Bob Barnett of the Musical Box Society will have a table of information.

Coffee and pastries will be available for purchase throughout the day, and lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch will feature a sandwich, chips, a dessert and a drink. Complimentary fruit and vegetable platters will also be available. Food proceeds will be used to support future phonograph shows.

Both Patrick and Sieber are members of the Antique Phonograph Society, a worldwide organization of people with a common passion for the preservation of the medium.

They hope people will come out for a fun day focused on the past.

"We would encourage anyone who enjoys history to attend," Patrick said. "You will see demonstrations that are rarely ever seen. ... You will be hearing history exactly the way people heard it from the 1870s to about 1930."

Added Sieber, "We highly recommend this show to anyone in the community who is a history buff, jazz music enthusiast or someone who is simply looking for a unique way to spend a Saturday afternoon. ... We are an inviting group of collectors and are always happy to share our passion for antique phonographs and music with anyone interested."

While admission to the event is free, donations are suggested to cover the cost of the ragtime concert. For more information, visit http://www.antiquephono.org.