The Voice of Florence Nightingale (1890)

Why this recording matters

On 30 July 1890, Florence Nightingale recorded a short message to help raise support for veterans of the Charge of the Light Brigade. It is the only known surviving recording of her voice and a rare direct connection to one of the most influential figures in the history of nursing. The recording survives from the earliest decades of recorded sound. Nightingale speaks of the comrades of Balaclava and her hope that her voice might continue the work of her life after she is gone. Contemporary accounts indicate that two recitations were made; this project is based on the surviving digital source linked below. Restoration would aim to reduce mechanical noise and improve the audibility of the words without manufacturing missing speech or stripping away the historical character of the original cylinder recording.