16 RPM disks

There was more to it than just talking books. Radio shows, plays and other voice based recordings. Also background music like the Seeburg systems used 16 RPM. They were never very common, tho.
 

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Long before Audible, I had from the library a 16rpm of The Great Gatsby.

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

November 23, 1975 - “ ‘Tis love, ‘tis love that makes the world go round,” the Duchess informed Alice—and the same driving force is also prepared to do as much to your turntable. Scheherazade could have entertained the Sultan royally for another thousand nights with the amount of recorded material available on the subject of love. ...Love, modern American style, can be heard aloud too. Gatsby pines away for Daisy in Alexander Scourby's beautifully sustained reading of the whole of F. Scott Fitzgerald's “The Great Gasby” (Listening Library).
Love Stories Make The Turntable Go ‘Round - The New York Times
 
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When I was young and practicized Morse codes, the Hungarian HAM society released a series of 16 2/3 speed vinyl disks containing random codes. After having gotten some practice it was fun to play them and transcribe at 33 1/3 (and even at 78!).
 
Digital long distance communication was invented and used (VERY successfully) way before any analog kind 🙂

I had never heard this one. Marconi was going to transmit 300 miles to the Royal Institution. Slightly before schedule:
"Rats. Rats. Rats."
“There was a young fellow of Italy, who diddled the public quite prettily.”
An assortment of rude insults from Shakespeare.

He was hacked:
https://racingnelliebly.com/weirdscience/first-wireless-hacker-talks-trash-1903/
Dot-dash-diss: The gentleman hacker's 1903 lulz | New Scientist
 
My first car was a '55 Olds.
One of the options was a turntable that played 16 2/3rpm records.



I saw such a rig at a car show about 1980, the owner had six records, said there were about fourty sold through GM. The only one he would play was his least favorite, a mix of big band stuff, didn't want to wear out his others.