Habanera 78

Interesting clip, as are many more posted by this user. Basically we get the audio of a 78 coupled with a videoof the disc playing. Watching this, it suddenly struck me that I have quite forgotten the mechanics of a record player. I know that there is one long groove in a spiral, so the needle sits in the groover, and as it goes down the line, it gets closer to the centre of the disc, thus making the radius shorter. I spent nearly thirty years of my life playing records: 78s (many of which were at speeds between 70 and 85...), 33s and 45s, and I never pondered this apparent contradiction.

Geraldine Farrar's fans were known as Gerry Flappers

Another audio clip, this time with some tenor by name of Caruso...

This almost sounds gorgeous, 'almost' because of the inadequacies of the recording (1908) exaggerated by YouTube/my lappy speakers.