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- Thomas Edison Asleep at the Oriental Hotel, Manhattan Beach, Snapshot by Henry Ford, 1896 - Henry Ford attended the 1896 meeting of the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies in Brooklyn, New York, with camera in tow. During the convention, Ford captured several candid shots of his boyhood hero, Thomas Edison. He also had a personal encounter with Edison at a banquet -- a brief but encouraging landmark in the ambitious engineer's life.
- 1896
- Collections - Artifact
Thomas Edison Asleep at the Oriental Hotel, Manhattan Beach, Snapshot by Henry Ford, 1896
Henry Ford attended the 1896 meeting of the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies in Brooklyn, New York, with camera in tow. During the convention, Ford captured several candid shots of his boyhood hero, Thomas Edison. He also had a personal encounter with Edison at a banquet -- a brief but encouraging landmark in the ambitious engineer's life.
- Thomas Edison, John Burroughs and Henry Ford in Fort Myers, Florida, 1914 - John Burroughs (1837-1921) was an internationally known naturalist and writer. His writings appealed to Henry Ford, who invited Burroughs in 1914 to join him and Thomas Edison to explore the Florida Everglades together. This led to the more famous Vagabond camping trips of a few years later, which also involved Harvey Firestone.
- 1914
- Collections - Artifact
Thomas Edison, John Burroughs and Henry Ford in Fort Myers, Florida, 1914
John Burroughs (1837-1921) was an internationally known naturalist and writer. His writings appealed to Henry Ford, who invited Burroughs in 1914 to join him and Thomas Edison to explore the Florida Everglades together. This led to the more famous Vagabond camping trips of a few years later, which also involved Harvey Firestone.
- Letter from Charles Greely (C.G.) Abbot to Henry Ford and Edsel Ford regarding Invitation to Light's Golden Jubilee, October 1, 1929 - On October 21, 1929, Henry Ford hosted an event, Light's Golden Jubilee, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of Thomas Edison's invention of the incandescent lamp. The event also served as the official dedication of The Edison Institute, Ford's museum complex named in honor of his friend. Among the invited guests was Secretary of the Smithsonian Dr. C.G. Abbott, who accepted the Ford's courteous invitation.
- October 21, 1929
- Collections - Artifact
Letter from Charles Greely (C.G.) Abbot to Henry Ford and Edsel Ford regarding Invitation to Light's Golden Jubilee, October 1, 1929
On October 21, 1929, Henry Ford hosted an event, Light's Golden Jubilee, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of Thomas Edison's invention of the incandescent lamp. The event also served as the official dedication of The Edison Institute, Ford's museum complex named in honor of his friend. Among the invited guests was Secretary of the Smithsonian Dr. C.G. Abbott, who accepted the Ford's courteous invitation.
- Thomas Edison, Charles Batchelor, and Uriah Painter with Edison's Phonograph, April 18, 1878 - While in Washington, D.C., for an 1878 presentation to the National Academy of Sciences, inventor Thomas Edison, his lab assistant Charles Batchelor, and Philadelphia Inquirer correspondent Uriah Painter sat for famed Civil War photographer Mathew Brady. They posed with Edison's phonograph, a new invention that could, for the first time, record and reproduce sound. The machine made Edison an overnight celebrity.
- April 18, 1878
- Collections - Artifact
Thomas Edison, Charles Batchelor, and Uriah Painter with Edison's Phonograph, April 18, 1878
While in Washington, D.C., for an 1878 presentation to the National Academy of Sciences, inventor Thomas Edison, his lab assistant Charles Batchelor, and Philadelphia Inquirer correspondent Uriah Painter sat for famed Civil War photographer Mathew Brady. They posed with Edison's phonograph, a new invention that could, for the first time, record and reproduce sound. The machine made Edison an overnight celebrity.
- Test Tube, "Edison's Last Breath," 1931 - This test tube was one of several that Charles Edison noticed standing open in a rack in the bedroom in which his father had just died in 1931. The attending physician was asked to seal the tubes, one of which Charles later sent on to Henry Ford who kept it with other Edison mementos at his home, Fair Lane.
- 1931
- Collections - Artifact
Test Tube, "Edison's Last Breath," 1931
This test tube was one of several that Charles Edison noticed standing open in a rack in the bedroom in which his father had just died in 1931. The attending physician was asked to seal the tubes, one of which Charles later sent on to Henry Ford who kept it with other Edison mementos at his home, Fair Lane.
- Thomas Edison at His Laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, 1898 - This photograph shows inventor Thomas Alva Edison at work in his West Orange, New Jersey, laboratory. Edison directed teams of research assistants here for nearly fifty years -- from 1887 until his death in 1931. More than half of Edison's 1,093 patents resulted from the collaborative work done in this complex, which became a model for modern research and development laboratories.
- November 05, 1929
- Collections - Artifact
Thomas Edison at His Laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, 1898
This photograph shows inventor Thomas Alva Edison at work in his West Orange, New Jersey, laboratory. Edison directed teams of research assistants here for nearly fifty years -- from 1887 until his death in 1931. More than half of Edison's 1,093 patents resulted from the collaborative work done in this complex, which became a model for modern research and development laboratories.
- Thomas Edison Napping at His West Orange Laboratory, New Jersey, circa 1924 -
- circa 1924
- Collections - Artifact
Thomas Edison Napping at His West Orange Laboratory, New Jersey, circa 1924
- "Henry Ford and Thomas A. Edison Buy the Detroit Electric," 1914 - Detroit Electric was the best-known and longest-lived American electric car company, producing automobiles from 1907-1939. The company marketed its cars to well-to-do customers -- particularly women -- looking for a clean, quiet car in which to take short trips in cities, where electricity was readily available and range wasn't an issue. Detroit Electric buyers included Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
- March 28, 1914
- Collections - Artifact
"Henry Ford and Thomas A. Edison Buy the Detroit Electric," 1914
Detroit Electric was the best-known and longest-lived American electric car company, producing automobiles from 1907-1939. The company marketed its cars to well-to-do customers -- particularly women -- looking for a clean, quiet car in which to take short trips in cities, where electricity was readily available and range wasn't an issue. Detroit Electric buyers included Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
- Edison Diamond Disc Record, "Charmant Oiseau (from La Perle de Brasil)" and a Message for Thomas Edison, 1915 - This rare recording was the brainchild of Thomas Edison's Chief Engineer Miller R. Hutchison. A group of Edison's friends and business associates gathered at Edison's West Orange, New Jersey, laboratory as this pre-recorded speech was played during a telephone call made to Edison over the newly completed transcontinental telephone line. Edison was visiting the 1915 Pan-American Exhibition in San Francisco on the opposite coast. This recording was never sold commercially.
- October 21, 1915
- Collections - Artifact
Edison Diamond Disc Record, "Charmant Oiseau (from La Perle de Brasil)" and a Message for Thomas Edison, 1915
This rare recording was the brainchild of Thomas Edison's Chief Engineer Miller R. Hutchison. A group of Edison's friends and business associates gathered at Edison's West Orange, New Jersey, laboratory as this pre-recorded speech was played during a telephone call made to Edison over the newly completed transcontinental telephone line. Edison was visiting the 1915 Pan-American Exhibition in San Francisco on the opposite coast. This recording was never sold commercially.
- Thomas Edison at West Orange Laboratory, New Jersey, 1887-1888 -
- 1887-1888
- Collections - Artifact
Thomas Edison at West Orange Laboratory, New Jersey, 1887-1888