Inigo Cubillo, a collector of 78 records, presents an excellent collection documenting "laughing records" and "crying records." From The Shellac Shanty site:
In the infancy of recorded sound technology, record labels had different ideas about what would be popular. Various attempts at humour (some quite subtle and elegant, some…. were not) were recorded, some of them being 'laughing records'. These were more than likely played at parties or other social occasions as a novelty, and (hopefully) a source of amusement.
Link (via MetaFilter, where there are links to more examples)
