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Cover image of The Papers of Thomas A. Edison
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The Papers of Thomas A. Edison

New Beginnings, January 1885–December 1887

Thomas A. Edison
edited by Paul B. Israel, Louis Carlat, Theresa M. Collins, Alexandra R. Rimer, and Daniel J. Weeks

Volume
Volume 8
Publication Date
Binding Type

This richly illustrated volume explores Edison’s inventive and personal pursuits from 1885 to 1887.

Two decades after the American Civil War, no name was more closely associated with the nation’s inventive and entrepreneurial spirit than that of Thomas Edison. The restless changes of those years were reflected in the life of America’s foremost inventor. Having cemented his reputation with his electric lighting system, Edison had decided to withdraw partially from that field. At the start of 1885, newly widowed at mid-life with three young children, he launched into a series of personal and...

This richly illustrated volume explores Edison’s inventive and personal pursuits from 1885 to 1887.

Two decades after the American Civil War, no name was more closely associated with the nation’s inventive and entrepreneurial spirit than that of Thomas Edison. The restless changes of those years were reflected in the life of America’s foremost inventor. Having cemented his reputation with his electric lighting system, Edison had decided to withdraw partially from that field. At the start of 1885, newly widowed at mid-life with three young children, he launched into a series of personal and professional migrations, setting in motion chains of events that would influence his work and fundamentally reshape his life.

Edison’s inventive activities took off in new directions, flowing between practical projects (such as wireless and high-capacity telegraph systems) and futuristic ones (exploring forms of electromagnetic energy and the convertibility of one to another). Inside of two years, he would travel widely, marry the daughter of a prominent industrialist and religious educator, leave New York City for a grand home in a sylvan suburb, and construct a winter laboratory and second home in Florida. Edison’s family and interior life are remarkably visible at this moment; his papers include the only known diary in which he recorded personal thoughts and events. By 1887, the familiar rhythms of his life began to reassert themselves in his new settings; the family faded from view as he planned, built, and occupied a New Jersey laboratory complex befitting his status.

The eighth volume of the series, New Beginnings includes 358 documents (chosen from among thousands) that are the most revealing and representative of Edison’s work, life, and place in American culture in these years. Illustrated with hundreds of Edison’s drawings, these documents are further illuminated by meticulous research on a wide range of sources, including the most recently digitized newspapers and journals of the day.

Reviews

Reviews

For those who want to delve deeply into Edison’s life and business dealings, this is another essential key to the puzzle.

A mine of material... Scrupulously edited... No one could ask for more... A choplicking feast for future Edison biographers—well into the next century, and perhaps beyond.

A triumph of the bookmaker's art, with splendidly arranged illustrations, essential background information, and cautionary reminders of the common sources on which Edison's imagination drew.

In the pages of this volume Edison the man, his work, and his times come alive... A delight to browse through or to read carefully.

What is most extraordinary about the collection isn't necessarily what it reveals about Edison's inventions... It's the insight into the process.

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About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
7
x
10
Pages
1032
ISBN
9781421417493
Illustration Description
9 halftones, 589 line drawings, 6 maps
Table of Contents

Calendar of Documents
List of Editorial Headnotes
List of Maps
Preface
Chronology of Thomas A. Edison, January 1885-December 1887
Editorial Policy and User's Guide
Editorial Symbols
List of Abbreviations
1

Calendar of Documents
List of Editorial Headnotes
List of Maps
Preface
Chronology of Thomas A. Edison, January 1885-December 1887
Editorial Policy and User's Guide
Editorial Symbols
List of Abbreviations
1. January-June 1885
2. July-December 1885
3. January-April 1886
4. May-September 1886
5. October-December 1886
6. January-May 1887
7. June-September 1887
8. october-December 1887
Appendix 1. Edison's Autobiographical Notes
Appendix 2. Edison's Patent Applications, 1885-1887
Bibliography
Credits
Index

Author Bios
Featured Contributor

Paul B. Israel, Ph.D.

Paul B. Israel is director and editor of the Thomas A. Edison Papers Project at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Featured Contributor

Louis Carlat

Louis Carlat is an associate editor of the Thomas A. Edison Papers Project at Rutgers University.
Featured Contributor

Theresa M. Collins

Theresa M. Collins is an associate editor of the Thomas A. Edison Papers Project at Rutgers University.
Featured Contributor

Alexandra R. Rimer

Alexandra R. Rimer is an assistant editor of the Thomas A. Edison Papers Project at Rutgers University.
Featured Contributor

Daniel J. Weeks

Daniel J. Weeks is an assistant editor of the Thomas A. Edison Papers Project at Rutgers University.