Primary Source Sets

Compact-disc

A compact-disc, or a CD, is a piece of molded plastic that is scanned by a laser to produce a recording of audio. Development began in 1973 by the Philips and Sony companies and was officially released in 1980. The hole in the middle is the size of a Dutch dime by recommendation of the head of the CD lab at Philips, Joop Sinjou. This is a transfer from a reel-to-reel recording of a lecture given at Reed by Gus Hall regarding the Communist Party.