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American postcard by Fotofolio, New York, N.Y., no. P291. Photo: W.K.L. Dickson / International Museum of Photography / George Eastman House. Caption: Thomas A. Edison, 1893.
Thomas Edison (1847-1931) was the inventor of the phonograph, power stations, and the carbon switch microphone. With his pioneering film studio, he produced and directed such silent films as The Trick Cyclist (1901), Bicycle Trick Riding, No. 2 (1899) and the first American film version of Frankenstein (1910).
Thomas Alva Edison was born in 1847 in Milan, Ohio, USA. His father, Samuel Edison, was of Dutch ancestry and his mother, Nancy Elliot, was of English descent. Thomas was home-schooled. He used a primitive cylinder and foil device to create the first known recording of a human voice (his own, reciting the poem "Mary Had A Little Lamb"). Although he invented the cylinder recorder (phonograph), it was Emile Berliner who created the flat disc. Edison licensed the patent(s) from him. Other inventions to his credit include cellophane tape, waxed paper, an improved version of the typewriter keyboard, and 'the electric pencil', a forerunner to the fax machine. He is often credited with the invention of the incandescent light bulb, but that is untrue; he only perfected it. Similar bulbs were already in existence but they were expensive, did not last long, and gave off a bad smell. By developing a low-cost, long-lasting, carbonized cotton filament, Edison made electrical light cheap enough to be financially practical.
Thomas Edison is also credited with the invention of sprocketed cinema film. He also invented the Kinetograph camera and the peephole kinetoscope viewer. The Edison Manufacturing Company's earliest films were produced solely to demonstrate the use of the peephole viewer. The studio made several experimental short films, some lasting only several seconds, mostly to test his equipment. One film, Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (1894), features a man sneezing, runs for 1-1/2 seconds. Many of Edison's experimental films were made in a small wooden building dubbed 'The Black Maria' because it resembled a police wagon of the same name. Edison's Black Maria was built on a lot next to his lab and office. The building, essentially a large wooden shed covered with tar paper, was small enough that it was mounted on circular tracks so it could be turned to accommodate sunlight through an opening in the roof. The original has long since burned down, but a reproduction of the structure is located at the Edison National Historic Site, a museum with a preserved laboratory facility in West Orange, New Jersey. Edison himself played virtually no role in the production of individual films by his company which produced the first American film version of Frankenstein (1910). This film paved the way for modern-day horror as we now know it. Edison formed the Motion Picture Patent Company (MPPC), and teamed up with a few other prominent figures in film production, giving them a sort of monopoly on filmmaking. They wouldn't let other filmmakers use their technology, and they controlled the different steps of production. Supposedly, they even hired goons to enforce their monopoly. His attempts to force independent filmmakers to use his patented movie equipment resulted in an exodus of the film industry from the East Coast, where almost all films were produced, to California and a new little town called Hollywood (merged with Los Angeles in 1910). The last years of his life were plagued by financial failures, including plans to make houses out of poured formed concrete (it never caught on with the public) and making rubber from goldenrod (it decomposed too quickly). In 1928, he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal. Thomas Edison was married to Mina Miller and Mary Stilwell. He died in 1931 in West Orange, New Jersey, USA. When he lay dying at his home in New Jersey, newspaper reporters were anxiously awaiting a sign from his wife of Edison's death. She signaled Edison's passing by turning a light ON, not off, in his bedroom. Edison's son allegedly captured his last breath in a glass jar. The jar is on display at the reconstructed Menlo Park at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan.
Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
The 2018 Ampera Edison, named for Thomas Alva Edison, is the world's first truly practical all-electric supercar. Powered by a monstrous battery pack weighing almost as much as a compact car, the Edison has a highway range of 314 miles on a full charge. Getting 98 mpge, the Edison is also very efficient, but powerful enough to go zero-to-sixty in 3.8 seconds thanks to its four dedicated electric motors, each powering a wheel.
The Edison comes with Ampera's breakthrough GearShift performance modification technology. The Edison is capable of being as efficient as a compact car in "Economy" mode, and offers several different performance modes designed to emulate the driving experience of other types of cars, including "Muscle" and "Sport," among several others. The illusion of these performance classes is augmented through torque vectoring and simulated gear shift lurches. Optional background engine sounds can also be played through the Edison's speaker system.
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Notes:
I did a lot of research on electric drive cars while building the Edison, and wanted to apply this to the concept behind the car. I think electric cars are going to be designed in the coming years to emulate the car classes we've come to love since the early days of automobiles.
Stylistically, the Ampera Edison features many of the same curves I used in the DeLorean O, only amplified for greater impact. The sharp arches make the car taller, but make it seem shorter by recessing the driver further into the body.
For the photography, I decided to forgo the polarization filter and glare shield to allow the car to shine more. The light effects are much more complex than previous effects I've done, and each light is roughly 5 separate layers modifying the underlying tile's color and depth.
©2013 Christopher Elliott, All Rights Reserved
My friend Susan and I drove to the Skagit Valley to join the Whidbey Island Sketchers for some fun and art. We garage-saled (well, Susan did - I read my book), we hit Starbucks, we navigated to Edison to meet the gang and have lunch at Tweets, we shopped at the fabulous "Make Art - Not War" Tri-D art store in Mount Vernon, had dinner at the Food Co-Op, scooted up the road to see "Insurgent" (FOUR!!!), then crept our way back to Mount Vernon in the dark and pouring rain to our funky little B&B. In the morning it was Big Breakfast time at the Calico Cupboard, then an expensive stop (for Susan's pastels, not for me!) at Dakota Art, then a cruise back through the valley to LaConner (where we opted to NOT join the tourista crowds for shopping). Then we made our way over the bridges, down the island, passing hundreds of cars headed to the fields. Funny, how could we have that much fun in the Skagit Valley and never sketch a daffodil, never tromp through a tulip field?
CSX 5461 (ES44DC), BNSF 4028 & BNSF 5165 (both C44-9W's) are near Edison approaching Bakesfield with a northbound doublestack and Autorack train. Sunday 29th April 2007.
The Edison is one the steam locomotives that pulls paying passengers in old-time railroad cars on a loop track surrounding Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. Unable to buy an original of the sort of old locomotive he wanted for Greenfield Village, Henry Ford had this replica made in 1932 and named it for his good friend, inventor Thomas Edison. As steam locomotives go, this is comparatively small; it weighs 25 tons, has just four drive wheels, and has a top speed of 40 miles per hour. I've been to Greenfield Village twice this year, both times for displays of old automobiles and both times with Flickr friend Steve Brown (sjb4photos); I'd like to go back when there is no car show to draw my attention away from the many old buildings and other attractions the village offers, including the train ride.
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See more photos we have taken at past Exxxotica events at www.jhmcreationz.com/Exxxotica
Stay connected with us!
www.instagram.com/jhmcreationz/
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www.youtube.com/user/fallangel316
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www.pinterest.com/JHMCREATIONZ/boards/
500px
Live, Believe & Dream! See You There!
Four Detroit Edison U30C's bring a loaded coal train into the Monroe, MI power plant in December 1997. Kodak Ektachrome © Joe Geronimo
photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid
This photo is licensed under a Creative Commons license. If you use this photo within the terms of the license or make special arrangements to use the photo, please list the photo credit as "Scott Beale / Laughing Squid" and link the credit to laughingsquid.com.
I could tell that Aggie Ring was impressed. After several moments of silence he spoke out and said, “If my Eyes of Texas aren’t deceiving me, that’s the biggest damn lightbulb I’ve ever seen! I guess it’s true… Everything IS bigger in Jersey!”
The Aggie Ring woke me up early this morning. In fact it was even before 11:30 a.m. so I knew he wanted to do something. I asked the Aggie Ring, “What do you want to do Aggie Ring?” The Aggie Ring replied, “I want to go see the lightbulb!” I wasn’t sure what he was talking about so I said, “What lightbulb?” The Aggie Ring said with emphasis, “Let there be LIGHT!” Then it hit me. Aggie Ring wanted to drive him up the Parkway to the site of Thomas A. Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory so he could see the Art Deco Edison Memorial Tower and “Big Ass Lightbulb!”
Other than the time he told me that he thought Elvis took our change in a tollbooth on the New Jersey State Turnpike, Aggie Ring has great ideas. It’s only about a 20 to 25 minute drive up the Parkway from our house so Aggie Ring and I set off to see the Edison Memorial Tower. The last time we’d been there it had been in horrible shape and they were beginning work on restoring it. That was a bit over a year ago so I assumed that Aggie Ring figured out that they would be finished with the conservation work on the historical site.
When we drove down the little side street where the tower is located the Aggie Ring was overwhelmed with awe at the restored site. Aggie Ring was truly “speechless!” It’s just as beautiful as the day it was built. They did an incredible job on the restoration. After a few moments sitting in the car just looking out the window Aggie Ring broke his silence and asked me, “Did you bring a cigar? Edison loved his cigars and I think he’d have wanted you to smoke a cigar while you’re looking the place over.” Unfortunately I had left my cigars at home so the Edison “smoke out” will have to happen on a future date.
The laboratory building is no longer at this site but it’s still impressive to think of not only the electric lightbulb, but all of the other great inventions that Mr. Edison invented here. Aggie Ring said, “Imagine. He did all this stuff without the help of an Aggie Ring!”
The Aggie Ring and I walked around the tower and took some photos of the “Big Ass Lightbulb” and the historical plaques at its base. The Aggie Ring and I are planning on going back some evening when the lightbulb is illuminated. Aggie Ring said, “It would be cool if you could get a photo during a thunderstorm when there’s lightning behind the tower.” I told Aggie Ring, “You’re crazy! I’m not standing out in a field during a lightning storm with an Aggie Ring on my finger! Maybe if we can get a VMI grad to come with us. Their rings are so damn big a lightning bolt would hit one of them before us!”
Aggie Ring said, “It’s a good thing Edison invented the lightbulb or there’d be a lot of Waggies drinking their tequila shots by candlelight!” I told the Aggie Ring, “True… Those Waggies love their tequila the invention of the lightbulb makes it a lot easier for them to pour the tequila and do body shots!”
Aggie Ring asked me to provide some info on the Edison “Big Ass Lightbulb” Memorial Tower for your educational enlightenment (“Get it?” Aggie Ring said):
Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Menlo Park Museum, New Jersey
"Let there be light." Thomas Alva Edison's Menlo Park Laboratory and Memorial Tower. Those of us on the Jersey Shore call it the "Big Ass Lightbulb!”
The Edison Tower, located on the site of the original laboratory at Menlo Park, New Jersey, to which Thomas Alva Edison moved in 1876, was erected in 1937 as a monument to the great inventor. The Tower is the gift of William Slocum Barstow to the Thomas Alva Edison Foundation Incorporated in behalf of the Edison Pioneers. It was dedicated on February 11, 1838, the ninety-first anniversary of the inventor's birth.
Rising 131 ft. 4 in. above the ground, the tower looms as the highest discernible object for many miles. Surmounting the 117 ft. 8 in. concrete-slab structure is a 13 ft. 8 in. replica of the original incandescent lamp which, when illuminated, can be seen for a distance of several miles. It once served as an airplane beacon. The Tower is designed for pressure of wind at a velocity of 120 miles per hour. In its construction, which consumed slightly less than eight months, approximately 1200 barrels of Edison Portland cement and 50 tons of reinforced steel were used.
The large bulb on top of the Tower was cast by the Corning Glass Works. The replica bulb contains 153 separate pieces of amber tinted Pyrex glass, 2 in. thick, set upon a steel frame. The bulb is 5 ft. in diameter at the neck and 9 ft. 2 in. in diameter at the greatest width and weighs, without the steel frame on which it is placed, in excess of three tons. Before the restoration, inside this Pyrex glass bulb were four 1000 watt bulbs, four 200 watt bulbs, and four 100 watt bulbs. A duplicate of each was arranged as automatically to cut in should its companion bulb fail.
The Edison Tower has been completely restored and when complete, the bulb is now illuminated with modern Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology. Mr. Edison would be pleased with this, I’m sure.
While we don’t have any records of exactly what was said when Mr. Edison perfected his invention, I suspect one of his workers shouted out something like this: “Holy Mother of Baby Jesus on a Donkey!” “Mr. Edison, You’ve done it!!! You’ve perfected the Electric Light!!! You truly are King of Kings!!!!”
The tower is located on a mysterious plot of land and exactly at midnight on the night of a full moon, it would be a perfect site for the ritual sacrifice of virgins. Too bad we don’t have any of those in New Jersey! :-)
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Aggie Ring says, “The Road Goes On Forever, and the Party Never Ends!”