Edison’s Film Trust: The Motion Picture Patents Company and the Rise of Hollywood
In December 1908 ten businesses announced an arrangement that appeared capable of deciding who could make, distribute and show films in the United States.
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The Edison Archive
W. K. L. Dickson: The Man Who Put Edison’s Pictures in Motion
When Thomas Edison’s first motion-picture camera was taking shape, the man bending over its mechanism was William Kennedy Laurie Dickson.
Did Thomas Edison Steal His Inventions? What the Historical Record Really Shows
Thomas Edison has acquired two opposite reputations. In the older version he sits alone at a bench and invents the modern world.
Thomas Edison and X-Rays: Clarence Dally and the Deadly Cost of the Fluoroscope
In the spring of 1903, Thomas Edison told a reporter that he was afraid of X-rays. This was an extraordinary admission from a man who usually met a dangerous experiment by demanding another test.
Edison Goes to War: The Naval Consulting Board and the First World War
During the First World War, Edison chaired the Naval Consulting Board and pursued submarine detection, communications and other naval problems—with mixed results.
The Edison Muckers: Who Really Worked in the Invention Factories?
Who were Edison’s “muckers”? Meet the machinists, chemists, draughtsmen, glassblowers and managers whose collective labour powered the invention factories.
Thomas Edison’s Last Years: Rubber Experiments, Public Fame and His Death in 1931
In his final years Edison pursued rubber research, revisited Menlo Park and became a living national monument. He died at Glenmont on 18 October 1931.
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford: Friendship, Industry and the Vagabonds
Thomas Edison became Henry Ford’s hero, neighbour and travelling companion. Their friendship joined industry, publicity and the celebrated Vagabonds motor tours.
Lewis Latimer and the Edison Companies: What Was Their Real Relationship?
Lewis Latimer worked for an Edison company and became a vital patent expert, but not Edison’s personal laboratory assistant. Here is their real relationship.
Thomas Edison’s Iron-Ore Disaster: The Invention That Consumed a Fortune
Edison gambled years and a fortune on magnetic iron-ore separation in New Jersey. Discover why the vast experiment failed—and what survived it.