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Edison

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Specialty Definition: Edison Records

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Edison Records was the first record label, pioneering recorded sound and an important player in the early record industry.

Early Phonographs Before Commercial Mass Produced Records

Thomas A. Edison invented the phonograph, the first device for recording and playing back sound, in 1877.

After inventing and patenting the phonograph, Edison and his laboratory turned their attention to the commercial development of electric lighting, playing no further role in the development of the phonograph for a decade.

The earliest phonograph was something of a crude curiosity, although one that facinated much of the public. Early machines were sold to entrepenuers who made a living out of traveling around the country giving "phonograph concerts" and demonstrating the device for a fee at fairs.

"Talking dolls" and "Talking clocks" were manufactured using the early phonograph; these were expensive novelties.

The Start of the Commercial Record Industry

In 1887 Edison Labs turned their attention back to improving the phonograph and the phonograph cylinder.

In 1888 the Edison company debuted the Perfected Phonograph, Edison produced wax cylinders 4 inches (10 cm) long, 2¼ inches in diameter, playing some 2 minutes of music or entertainment, which became the industry standard.

Blank records were an important part of the business early on. Most phonographs had or could be fitted with attachments for the users to make their own recordings. One important early use was in business for recording dictation. Attachments were added to facilitate starting, stopping, and skipping back the recording for dictation and playback by stenographers. The business phonograph eventually evolved into a separate device from the home entertainment phonograph. Edison Record's brand of business phonograph was called The Ediphone; see dictaphone.

Mass Produced Cylinders

A notable technological triumph of the Edison Laboratories was devising a method to mass produce pre-recorded phonograph cylinders in molds. This was done by using very slightly tapered cylinders and molding in a material that contracted as it set. To Edison's disappointment the commercial potential of this process was not realized for some years. Most of the regional Edison distributors were able to fill the small early market for recordings by mechanical duplication of a few dozen cylinders at a time. Molded cylinders did not become a significant force in the marketplace until the end of the 1890s.

Mass producing cylinders at the Edison recording studio in New Jersey largely ended the local Edison retailers early practice of producing recordings in small numbers for regional markets, and helped concentrate the USA recording industry in the New York City - New Jersey area, already the headquarters of the nation's Tin Pan Alley printed music industry.

In 1902 Edison Records introduced Edison Gold Molded Records, cylinder records of improved hard black wax, capable of being played hundreds of times before wearing out.

In 1908 Edison introduced a new line of cylinders playing 4 rather than 2 minutes of music on the same sized record, achieved by shrinking the grooves and spacing them twice as close together. New machines were sold to play these records, as were attachments for modifying existing Edison phonographs. In October of 1912 the new Blue Amberol Records, made of an early type of plastic, were introduced for public sale. They were much more durable than wax cylinders.

Edison Records continued selling cyliners until they went out of business in 1929, but for the last decade these were simply dubbs of their commercial disc records intended for customers who still used cylinder phonographs purchased years before.

Edison Records became run by Thomas Edison's son Charles Edison.

Edison Disc Records

In October of 1913 the Edison Diamond Disc Record was introduced. Edison Laboratories had been experimenting with disc records for some 3 years, as the general public seemed to prefer them to cylinders. The thick Edison Discs recorded the sound vertically in the groove rather than laterally, and could only be played to their full advantage on Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs. This combination produced audio fidelity superior to any other home record playing system of the time. However Edison Discs and phonographs were more expensive than the competitors. This together with the uncompatability of the Edison system with other discs and machines had an adverse effect on Edison's market share. None the less, Edison Discs for a time became the third best selling brand in the United States, behind Victor and Columbia Records.

With World War I various materials used in Edison Discs came in short supply, and many discs pressed during the war were made in part with such make-shift materials as could be acquired at the time. This resulted in problems with surface noise even on new records, and Edison's market share shrank.

After the war Edison Records started a marketing campaign, hiring prominent singers and Vaudeville performers to perform along side and alternating with Edison records of their performances played on top-of-the-line "Laboratory Model" Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs. At various stages during the performances, all lights in the theater would be darkened and the audience challenged to guess if what they were hearing was live or recorded; accounts often said that much of the audience was astonished when the lights went back up to reveal only the Edison Phonograph on stage.

In 1928 the Edison company began plans for making "needle cut" records; by which they meant standard lateral cut discs like the "78s" marketed by almost every other company of the time. The Edison "Needle Cut" records debuted the following year. The audio fidelity was often comprable to the best of other record companies of the time, but they sold poorly as Edison's market share had declined to the point where it was no longer one of the leading companies and Edison had few distributors compared to leaders like Victor, Columbia, and Brunswick.

Edison Records closed down in 1929. The record plant and many of the employees were transferred to manufacturing radios. The masters for the Edison Records back catalogue were purchased by Henry Ford, and became part of the collection of the Henry Ford Museum. Some of the Edison catalogue is in the public domain and available for download at the following address at the Library of Congress website: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/eddcalpha.html

List of record labels

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Edison Records."

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Edison, Georgia

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Edison is a city located in Calhoun County, Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 1,340.

Geography

Edison is located at 31°33'39" North, 84°44'17" West (31.560891, -84.737984)¹. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²). 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 1,340 people, 512 households, and 334 families residing in the city. The population density is 222.1/km² (575.9/mi²). There are 584 housing units at an average density of 96.8/km² (251.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 31.94% White, 67.69% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.37% from two or more races. 1.27% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 512 households out of which 31.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% are married couples living together, 28.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% are non-families. 32.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 16.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.46 and the average family size is 3.13. In the city the population is spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 74.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 62.0 males. The median income for a household in the city is $19,191, and the median income for a family is $23,839. Males have a median income of $22,500 versus $15,813 for females. The per capita income for the city is $10,409. 34.2% of the population and 31.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 49.9% are under the age of 18 and 24.4% are 65 or older.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Edison, Georgia."

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Edison, Nebraska

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Edison is a village located in Furnas County, Nebraska. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 154.

Geography

Edison is located at 40°16'39" North, 99°46'34" West (40.277599, -99.776088)¹. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²). 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 154 people, 66 households, and 46 families residing in the village. The population density is 228.7/km² (594.4/mi²). There are 89 housing units at an average density of 132.2/km² (343.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 100.00% White, 0.00% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.00% from two or more races. 0.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 66 households out of which 27.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% are married couples living together, 7.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% are non-families. 25.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 16.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.33 and the average family size is 2.83. In the village the population is spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.9 males. The median income for a household in the village is $24,250, and the median income for a family is $26,875. Males have a median income of $19,375 versus $25,938 for females. The per capita income for the village is $15,330. 1.4% of the population and 0.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 0.0% are under the age of 18 and 8.0% are 65 or older.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Edison, Nebraska."

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Edison, New Jersey

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Edison, also known as Edison Township, is a town located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 97,687.

The town was previously known as Raritan Township. It should not be confused with the Raritan Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. In 1954 Raritan's name was changed to honor inventor Thomas A. Edison.

In 1876 Thomas A. Edison set up his home and research laboratory on the site of an unsucessful real-estate development in Raritan Township called Menlo Park. Thomas A. Edison moved his lab to West Orange, New Jersey in 1883.

The town of Edison is home to the Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Museum.

Geography

Edison is located at 40°32'18" North, 74°22'43" West (40.538204, -74.378585)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 79.5 km² (30.7 mi²). 78.0 km² (30.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.5 km² (0.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.86% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 97,687 people, 35,136 households, and 25,895 families residing in the town. The population density is 1,252.2/km² (3,243.0/mi²). There are 36,018 housing units at an average density of 461.7/km² (1,195.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 59.49% White, 6.89% African American, 0.14% Native American, 29.27% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.02% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. 6.37% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 35,136 households out of which 34.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% are married couples living together, 9.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% are non-families. 21.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.72 and the average family size is 3.19.

In the town the population is spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $69,746, and the median income for a family is $77,976. Males have a median income of $53,303 versus $36,829 for females. The per capita income for the town is $30,148. 4.8% of the population and 3.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 4.3% are under the age of 18 and 6.3% are 65 or older.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Edison, New Jersey."

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Edison, Ohio

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Edison is a village located in Morrow County, Ohio. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 437.

Geography

Edison is located at 40°33'29" North, 82°51'48" West (40.558114, -82.863455)¹. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²). 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 437 people, 165 households, and 119 families residing in the village. The population density is 581.8/km² (1,516.2/mi²). There are 178 housing units at an average density of 237.0/km² (617.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the village is 98.17% White, 0.00% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 0.69% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 165 households out of which 32.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% are married couples living together, 9.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% are non-families. 20.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.65 and the average family size is 3.05. In the village the population is spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 102.5 males. The median income for a household in the village is $39,167, and the median income for a family is $41,250. Males have a median income of $30,987 versus $25,417 for females. The per capita income for the village is $15,722. 13.4% of the population and 12.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 23.4% are under the age of 18 and 5.0% are 65 or older.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Edison, Ohio."

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Edison, Washington

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Edison is a town located in Skagit County, Washington. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 133.

Geography

Edison is located at 48°33'45" North, 122°26'11" West (48.562531, -122.436514)¹. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 km² (0.6 mi²). 1.5 km² (0.6 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 133 people, 52 households, and 35 families residing in the town. The population density is 88.5/km² (227.4/mi²). There are 55 housing units at an average density of 36.6/km² (94.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 92.48% White, 0.00% African American, 3.76% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 52 households out of which 34.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% are married couples living together, 7.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% are non-families. 21.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 3.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.56 and the average family size is 3.03. In the town the population is spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 39.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 43 years. For every 100 females there are 118.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 122.2 males. The median income for a household in the town is $46,607, and the median income for a family is $50,982. Males have a median income of $40,000 versus $21,719 for females. The per capita income for the town is $18,547. 0.0% of the population and 0.0% of families are below the poverty line.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Edison, Washington."

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Thomas Edison

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 - October 18, 1931) was a United States inventor and businessman who developed many important devices. "The Wizard of Menlo Park" was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production to the process of invention.

Edison was one of the most prolific inventors of his time, holding a record 1,093 patents in his name from work done by his employees (and himself.) Edison received patents worldwide, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Edison started the Motion Picture Patents Company, which was a conglomerate of nine major film studios (commonly known as the Edison Trust).

Thomas Alva Edison
(Larger version)

Life magazine (USA), in a special double issue, placed Edison first in the "100 Most Important People in the Last 1000 Years", claiming his light bulb " lit up the world ", although the first light bulb was allegedly invented by Heinrich Goebel who does not even appear on Lifes list. Predictably, Edison's placing has been criticized as misunderstood patriotism, since even during his lifetime there were non-US inventors whose inventions (combustion engines, cars, electricity-making machines, etc) had greater impact than Edison's. Let alone the entire millennium with true giants such as Isaac Newton, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Galileo Galilei, Charles Darwin, Johannes Gutenberg (book print, #1 invention of the millennium, according to many sources), James Watt (steam engine and start of industrial revolution, #2 invention), and many others.

Early years

Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio and grew up in Port Huron, Michigan. Partially deaf since adolescence, he became a telegraph operator in the 1860s, and a famously fast one. Some of his earliest inventions related to electrical telegraphy, including a stock ticker.

Edison had worked for a time in his youth selling snacks, and candy on the railroad, labored as a pig slaughterer and started a business selling vegetables. He could reputedly correctly guess a man's weight by simply looking at him. Around 1862, Edison printed and published "The Weekly Herald". It was the first newspaper typeset and printed on a moving train. The London Times featured a story on Edison and his paper. Edison applied for his first patent, the electric vote recorder, on October 28, 1868.

Middle years

Thomas Edison began his career as an inventor in Newark, New Jersey, with the stockticker and improved telegraphic devices being invented there, but the invention which first gained Edison wide fame was the phonograph in 1877. While non-reproducable sound recording was first achieved by Leon Scot de Martinville (France, 1857), and others at the time (notably Charles Cros) were contemplating the notion that sound waves might be recorded and reproduced, Edison was the first to produce a device to actually do so, and this was so astoundingly unexpected by the public at large as to appear almost magical. Edison became known as "The Wizard of Menlo Park" (after the New Jersey town where he resided). His first phonograph recorded on tinfoil cylinders, had low sound quality, and destroyed the track during replay such that one could listen only once. A redesigned model which used wax cylinders was produced soon after by Alexander Graham Bell. Sound quality was still low and replays were limited before wear destroyed the recording. The first practical gramophone was invented by Emile Berliner in 1887.

Menlo Park

The greatest innovation of Thomas Edison was the Menlo Park research lab, which was built in New Jersey. It was the first institution set up with the specific purpose of producing constant technological innovation and improvement. Most of the inventions there carried Edison as the inventor, though he mostly oversaw the operation.

Many of his inventions were not unique, but Edison showed unique skills in winning the patents and beating his opponents by better marketing skills and influence. Edison's patents were mostly utility patents, only about a dozen being design patents. For example, Edison did not invent the electric lightbulb, which was allegedly invented by Heinrich Goebel in 1854. Goebel's lamps lasted up to 400 hours, but he did not patent them. Other light bulbs were created by James Woodward and Matthew Evans (patent in 1875) and equipped with carbon filament by Joseph Swan in 1878. However,it was Edison's relentless and endless experimentation that made the lightbulb a practical, commercial proposition. He purchased the 1875 patent and had a team of developers try many alternative materials and thus was eventually able to prolong the burning time in 1879.

Where earlier inventors had produced electric lighting in laboratory conditions, Edison created a system to generate electricity (direct current), distributed it locally to homes and businesses, and mass produced long-lasting bulbs for sale to the public, using the designs and patents of earlier inventors including Joseph Swan, Henry Woodward, James Bowman Lindsay and William Sawyer.

On November 21, 1877, Edison invented the phonograph.

Incandescence era

US223898 Electric Lamp

In 1878, Edison applied the term "filament" to the element of glowing wire carrying an electric current. In 1878, Edison formed Edison Electric Light Company in New York City with financiers (including J.P. Morgan and the Vanderbilts).

Edison wired his lights by parallel circuit, which causes the current to divide among alternative paths. In parallel circuits, the failure of one light bulb does not cause a circuit to fail, which happens to lamps wired in series. On December 31, 1879, Edison demonstrated incandescent lighting to the public for the first time with some fanfare in Menlo Park, New Jersey. On January 27, 1880 he filed a patent in the United States for the electric incandescent lamp. On February_13, 1880, Edison became the first person to observe the Edison Effect. On October 8, 1883 the U.S. patent office ruled that Edison's patent was based on the work of William Sawyer and was invalid.

In 1880, Edison patented electric distribution system. The first investor-owned electric utility was the 1882 Pearl Street Station, New York City. On January 25, 1881, Edison and Alexander Graham Bell formed the Oriental Telephone Company. On September 4, 1882, Edison switched on the world's first electrical power distribution system, providing 110 volts direct current (DC) to 59 customers in lower Manhattan, around his Pearl Street laboratory. On January 19, 1883 the first standardized electric lighting system employing overhead wires began service in Roselle, New Jersey.

Litigation continued until on October 6, 1889, a judge ruled that Edison's electric light improvement claim for "a filament of carbon of high resistance" was valid. Research exposed in "A Streak of Luck" by Robert Conot (1979), shows that Edison and his attorneys hid significant information from the judge, they cut out the October 7-21, 1879 section of a notebook. Edison failed to patent the light bulb in the United Kingdom. After losing a court battle with Swan, they formed a joint company (Ediswan) to market the invention. This company and its technological heritage became a part of General Electric in 1892.

War of Currents era

Main article:War of Currents

During the initial years of electricity distribution, Edison's direct current was the standard for the United States and Edison was not disposed to lose all his patent royalties. During the commonly referred to "War of Currents" era, Austrian immigrant Nikola Tesla and Edison became adversaries due to Edison's promotion of DC for electric power distribution over the more efficient alternating current advocated by Tesla, who patented AC in Graz, Austria. Edison (or, reportedly, one of his employees) employed the tactics of misusing Tesla's patents to construct the first electric chair for the state of New York in order to promote the idea that alternating current was deadly. Popular myth has it that Edison solely invented the electric chair as a means of impressing the public that alternating current was more dangerous than direct current. Though Edison did advocate executions via AC electrocution, the chair was primarily invented by a few of his employees, in particular Harold P. Brown, working at Menlo Park (though Edison certainly monitored their operations). [1]

Edison went on to carry out a campaign to discourage the use of alternating current, what today would be commonly referred to as FUD. Edison did preside personally over several executions of animals, primarily stray cats and dogs, for the benefit of the press to prove that his inferior system of direct current was safer than that of alternating current. Edison's series of animal executions peaked with the electrocution of Topsy the Elephant. Ironically, Edison was against capital punishment, but his desire to disparage the superior system of alternating current led to the invention of one of the world's most recognizable killing devices.

Many of Edison's inventions using direct current ultimately lost to alternating current devices proposed by others: primarily Tesla's polyphase systems and other contributors, such as Charles Proteus Steinmetz (of General Electric). AC distribution systems replaced DC, enormously extending the range and improving the safety and efficiency of power distribution. Since the 1950s, High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission systems have become more common in certain situations. HVDC systems are presently used for some specialised applications like the underwater interconnection of Power Systems.

Work relations

As exemplified by the light bulb story, most of Edison's inventions were improvements of ideas by others, achieved through a diligent and industrial approach and team-based development. He was the undisputed head of the team which usually did not share credit for the inventions. He himself said: "invention is 1% of inspiration and 99% of transpiration." Nikola Tesla, possibly Edison's most famous employee and great scientist in his own right, said about Edison's method of problem-solving: "If Edison had a needle to find in a haystack, he would proceed at once with the diligence of the bee to examine straw after straw until he found the object of his search. I was a sorry witness of such doings, knowing that a little theory and calculation would have saved him ninety per cent of his labor."

At a meeting in late 1885, of Edison, Edward H. Johnson (President of the Edison Illuminating Company), Charles Batchellor (Manager of the Edison works) and Nikola Tesla, one of the group suggested guessing weights and Tesla was induced to step on a scale. Edison guessed that Tesla weighed 152 pounds, to an ounce. Johnson confidentially related to Tesla that Edison could guess individuals' weight as he had developed the skill when he was employed for a long time in a Chicago slaughter-house where he weighed thousands of hogs every day. [1]

Media inventions

Initially, it was believed that Thomas Edison invented the motion picture camera, but it has since been proven that William Kennedy Laurie Dickson actually invented it at the Edison laboratories. However, his influence on the history of film stretches far beyond that of instigator. He became a powerhouse of film production and must be given credit for establishing the standard of using 35mm celluloid film with 4 perforations on the edge of each frame that allowed film to emerge as a mass medium and not just a vaudeville novelty. He built what has been called the first movie studio, the Black Maria in New Jersey. Here he made the first copyrighted film, Fred Ott's Sneeze.

His inventions benefited people world wide and in 1878, he was appointed Chevalier of the Legion of Honor of France and in 1889 was made Commander of the Legion of Honor.

On September 30, 1890, Edison obtained patent US437422 for telegraphy, US437423, US437424, US437426 for the phonograph, US437425 for a phonograph-recorder, US437427 for a "Method of Making Phonograph Blanks", US437428 for a "Propelling Device for Electrical Cars", and US437429 for a phonogram blank.

In 1891, Thomas Edison built a Kinetoscope, or peep-hole viewer. This device was installed in penny arcades where people could watch short, simple films. This was important to Thomas Edison especially because he had been searching for a way to entertain customers that were listening to music on his phonograph. Now, people could go to a penny arcade, put in a coin, put on the headphones and watch a film through the peep-hole. Later that same year, on December 29th, Edison patented the radio ("transmission of signals electrically").

On August 9, 1892, Edison received a patent for a two-way telegraph.

Later years

In West Orange, New Jersey on February 1, 1893 Edison finished construction of "Black Maria", the first motion picture studio. However, a United States court of appeals ruled on March 10, 1902 that Edison did not invent the movie camera and thus could not exercise monopoly power over its use (see Edison v. American Mutoscope). In 1894, Edison experiments with synchronizing audio with film; the Kinetophone was invented which loosely synchronizes a Kinetoscope image with a cylinder phonograph. In April of 1896, Edison and Thomas Armat's Vitascope were used to project motion pictures in public screenings in New York City.

Thomas Edison submitted his last patent application, "Holder for Article to be Electroplated", on January 6, 1931 and died later that year. The patent was granted two years later in 1933.

Personal life

He was married twice, the first time in 1871 to Mary Stilwell (1855-1884), with whom he had three children - Marion Estelle, Thomas Jr., and William Leslie - before she died at age 29, probably of typhoid fever. His second marriage was to Mina Miller (1865-1946), also with three children, Madeleine, Charles (who took over the company), and Theodore Miller. Thomas Edison was an atheist.

List of contributions

• Phonograph
• Kinetoscope
• dictaphone
• radio
• electric bulb
• autographic printer
• tattoo gun

For a discussion of Edison's Record company and its role in the recording industry, see: Edison Records

External links

Biography

• Dyer, Frank Lewis, "Edison, His Life And Inventions"
• Beals, Gerry, "Thomas Edison"
• Murphy, John Patrick Michael, "Thomas Alva Edison"

Historic Sites

• Edison Birthplace Museum
• Thomas Edison House
• Edison National Historic Site

Archives

• Thomas A. Edison Papers at Rutgers University
• Thomas Edison's Patents - Rutgers University
• Edisonian Museum Antique Electrics
• Thomas A. Edison in his laboratory in New Jersey, 1901

Relations

• One Story of Nikola Tesla : Anecdotes concerning the relationship of Tesla and Edison.

Writings and Speech

• Thomas Edison Quotations
• Edison, Thomas A., The Philosophy of Thomas Paine. June 7, 1925. (essay)

  Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Thomas Edison."

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Thumbnail	Description & Credit	Thumbnail	Description & Credit
	Edison National Historic Site. Credit: NPS.		Caption: Birthplace of Edison; Milan, OH; Ca. 1899; {12.500/6} (jpg).
	Caption: Sign at Lakeside Ave. Entrance to Edison National Historic Site, Water Tower in Background; West Orange, NJ; Unknown Date; {12.450/54} (jpg).		Moored in Holy Loch, Scotland, in April 1966, with USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610) alongside. Credit: NAVY.
	Takes the Oath of Office as Chief of Naval Operations, in the Secretary of the Navy's office, Navy Department, Washington, D.C., on 1 August 1939. Administering the oath is Rear Admiral Walter B. Woodson, USN, Judge Advocate General. Witnesses are Acting Secretary of the Navy Charles Edison (2nd from left) and the outgoing Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral William D. Leahy, USN, (at left). A portrait of Civil War era Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles is in the background. Credit: NAVY.		Thomas Edison seated in the music room of his laboratory listening to Helen Davis sing while her husband Victor Young accompanies her on piano. Credit: Library of Congress.
	The Edison concert phonograph Have you heard it?. Credit: Library of Congress.		Edison Electric plant [Detroit Edison Company], Detroit, Mich. Credit: Library of Congress.
	Thomas A. Edison, head-and-shoulders protrait. Credit: Library of Congress.		Seed potatoes on the farm of Mr. Edison Houston, FSA (Farm Security Administration) client and participant on community service seed program. Perham, Maine. Credit: Library of Congress.
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

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Digital Photo Gallery: Edison
 

"Con edison coming thru!" by J Cash Commentary: "Taken at 23rd and first ave. about 20 minutes after the power went out."

Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers.

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Familiar Quotations: Edison

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Non-Fiction Usage: Edison

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Usage Frequency: Edison

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Name Usage Frequency: Edison

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Derived & Related Names: Edison

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Usage in Company Names: Edison

Source: compiled by the editor from Icon Group International, Inc.

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Cities: Edison

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