Thomas Edison 175 -- February 11, 2022

Time, 25-May-1925

Inventor and capitalist Thomas Alva Edison was born 175 years ago today, on 11-February-1847. I read several books about him when I was in school. He created the first laboratory for industrial research. His teams developed commercially viable motion pictures and made great improvements to storage batteries. He and his team invented the phonograph.

Edison Phonograph Monthly, June, 1916

New York Clipper, 15-August-1903

What Shall I Give This Christmas? -- December 3, 2015

Edison Phonograph Monthly, December, 1916

Amberola was the Thomas Edison Company's name for phonographs with internal horns.  Diamond referred to the reproducer, probably the Diamond C in 1916, which played the records.  Edison Diamond records were recorded using the hill and dale method. 

News of the Week November 13, 1915 -- November 13, 2015

The 13-November -1915 Motography featured "News of the Week as Shown in Films," with items from current newsreels.

"Luther Burbank, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford meet at San Francisco Exposition.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe News."  Inventor Edison met botanist Burbank for the first time in October.  Henry Ford often vacationed with Edison.  Here they pose at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. 

"Great quantities of opium are destroyed in San Francisco, California.  Copyright 1915 by Universal Animated Weekly."  Smugglers found a good market for opium smuggled from China. 

"C. A. Youngren, inventor of a new life saving garment.  Copyright 1915 by Mutual Weekly."  I can't find anything about him.  An O. A. Youngren received a patent for a "life preserver" in 1921.  It may be the same person. 

"Mexican Bandits wreck train at Olnite, Texas.  Copyright 1915 by Pathe News."  A Saint Louis, Brownsville and Mexico got derailed by Mexican bandits and looted on 18-October-1915.  The engineer died in the crash and the fireman was scalded.  One rider was shot and killed while the bandits robbed the passengers.  

"A scene from the Hearst-Selig News Pictorial showing conspirators who plotted to destroy U. S. ships carrying arms to Allies.  Copyright 1915, International Film Service Inc."  German agents tried to plant explosives on ships carrying war materials. 

"A scene from Hearst-Selig News Pictorial showing the U. S. S. "Nevada" making its first trip.  Copyright 1915, International Film Service Inc."  USS Nevada (BB-36) went to Ireland to protect convoys during World War One.  She was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked in 1941.  She was damaged, but was repaired.  She was at Iwo Jima and D-Day and again protected Atlantic convoys.

Something New for Long Winter Evenings -- February 1, 2015

Saint Louis Republic, 02-December-1900

This ad touts the "New 1901 Model" of "Thomas A. Edison's Phonograph."  "Join one of our phonograph clubs." 

First and Last Word in Phonographs -- August 2, 2014

A prototype ad from the June, 1916 Edison Phonograph Monthly reminds buyers that Edison invented the phonograph.  It says the Edison Diamond Amberola "absolutely matches every human quality of the actual living voice."  The Amberola was a phonograph designed to play Edison's superior Blue Amberol cylinders with a diamond stylus. 

"The EDISON DIAMOND AMBEROLA is not a mere 'talking machine.'"  This is a dig at Edison's rival, the Victor Talking Machine Company. 

This is the 8 Foot Horn -- July 3, 2014

This ad from the November, 1903 Edison Phonograph Monthly shows how a dealer in Utica, New York attracted attention to his shop using an 8 foot long phonograph horn.  From the July, 1903 issue:

An Advertising Horn 8 Feet 8

Inches Long With a 3 Foot 3

Inch Bell.

"Perhaps the largest advertising horn in use is the one that hangs in front of our supply house," writes E. A. Batchelor, manager of the Utica Electric and Phonograph Supply House, of Utica, N.Y.  "We use this horn and a Home Phonograph to give concerts on certain evenings during the week.  Every night that we use it the street becomes so crowded that it is hard for anyone to pass through.  This horn is made of galvanized iron and bronzed with aluminum.  It is very distinct and full of volume.  It may be easily heard above the rumbling of the street railroads and the rattling of wagons.  Any Dealer wishing to build a horn of this size may ascertain the cost of the horn and a swinging arm to hold same from the building by writing to Frank Ecker, iron pattern maker, 12 Pearl street, Utica, N.Y.  We believe this will be of great value to Phonograph Dealers who will take hold of it.  No Dealer need think this is an experiment, for it is not; it is in actual use at our store." 

In a competition with Freudian overtones, Shenandoah, Louisiana dealer DR Wilson used a 21-foot long horn to advertise his wares at the Page County Fair.  From the February, 1904 Edison Phonograph Monthly. 

Did You Ever Make a Phonograph Record? -- February 5, 2014

This ad, from the 29-January-1911 New York Tribune, touts the ability of the Edison Phonograph to do home recording.  All the statements in the ad are true.  The cylinders could be recycled by shaving off a layer of wax. 

I received a cassette recorder as a birthday present when I was in the Fifth Grade, but I had been reading a lot about early phonographs, so I wanted to reproduce one.  The Scout manual had an activity for making a phonograph out of a cone of paper and a toothpick.  I found it didn't work very well and was awfully hard on the records.  Based on my reading, I used a balloon to make a diagram and stuck a needle through it so the needle projected below the bottom of the tube.  That worked better.  It inspired me to try to make records using paraffin or other waxes.  I couldn't get enough energy into the diaphragm and needle to carve a good groove. 

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