Edison, Thomas Alva
The Wizard of Menlo Park
February 11, 1847 - October 18, 1941

Edison’s demonstrations of his talking machine, a device that could reproduce the voices of people who were not present, caused him to be called The Wizard of Menlo Park.

Resources:

National Park Service:

Edison history site

Rutgers: The State University of New Jersey:

Papers of Thomas A. Edison

List of all Edison patents.

Acrobat images of all Edison patents

Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Menlo Park Museum (Edison, NJ City Site):

This site features thumbnail history and recordings.

Birthplace of Recorded Sound

Organization Home Page

The History Channel (store.aetv.com):

Thomas Edison
The myths and misconceptions surrounding the life of the legendary inventor are revealed in this definitive examination of his revolutionary life.  VHS Tape - 50 Minutes

Edison Effect set
See the first movie ever made and marvel at the incredible stories of rivalry and brilliance that defined the career of Thomas Edison-the greatest inventor in American history.  VHS Tapes - 150 Minutes

Stereos
From Edison to THX and Dolby surround sound, this is the story of man's quest to capture sound.   VHS Tape - 50 Minutes

Patents:

Acrobat images of all Edison patents

*U.S. Patent No. 200.521, 02/19/1878: Improvement in phonograph or speaking machines Edison, Thomas A.
[ abstract ] [ DjVu 178KB ]

*U.S. Patent No. 201,760 , 03/26/1878 ((app. 03/04/1878 (22 days!)) IMPROVEMENT IN SPEAKING-MACHINES. (class: 181/177; 369/156) Edison, Thomas A. [abstract] [DjVu49KB]

*U.S. Patent No. 213,554 , 03/25/1879 (app. 03/26/1877) IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPHS. (class: 178/17A; 178/92) Edison, Thomas A. [abstract] [DjVu141KB]

*U.S. Patent No. 227,679 , 05/18/1880 (app. 03/29/1879) PHONOGRAPH. (class: 369/214; 116/144; 181/162) Edison, Thomas A. [abstract] [DjVu115KB]

*U.S. Patent No. 386,974, 07/31/1888 (app. 11/26/1887, no model, serial 256,189) PHONOGRAPH. (class: 369/53.39; 369/223; 369/260) Edison, Thomas A. [DjVu339KB]

*U.S. Patent No. 414,761, 11/12/1889 (app. 08/10/1889, no model, serial 320,398) PHONOGRAM-BLANK. (class: 138/173; 249/59) Edison, Thomas A. [DjVu61KB]

*U.S. Patent No. 423,039, 03/11/1890 (app. 07/02/1889, no model, serial 316,324) PHONOGRAPH FOR DOLLS OR OTHER TOYS. (class: 369/214; 369/63; 446/302; 446/397) Edison, Thomas A. [DjVu170KB]

*U.S. Patent No. 453,741, 06/09/1897 (app. 07/30/1890, no model, serial 360,348) PHONOGRAPH. (class: 369/157) Edison, Thomas A. [DjVu120KB]

*U.S. Patent No. 454,941, 06/30/1891 (app. 05/24/1890, no model, serial 352,985) PHONOGRAPH RECORDER OR REPRODUCER. (class: 181/162; 181/170) Edison, Thomas A. [DjVu50KB]

*U.S. Patent No. 499,879, 06/20/1893 (app. 07/30/1888, no model, serial 281,453) PHONOGRAPH. (class: 369/72; 369/92; 369/219) Edison, Thomas Alva of Llewellyn Park, NJ (assignee: Edison Phonograph Company of NJ) [DjVu422KB]

*U.S. Patent No. 513,095, 01/23/1894 (app. 12/27/1889, no model, serial 335,140) PHONOGRAPH. (class: 188/187) Edison, Thomas Alva of Llewellyn Park, NJ [DjVu114KB]