National Park Service Thomas Edison 211 Main Street Department of the Interior National Historical Park West Orange, NJ 07052 973 736-0550 phone 973 736-6567 fax News Release Thomas Edison NHP For Immediate Release Contact: Theresa Jung Phone: 973 736-0550 x50 A PHONOGRAPH IN EVERY HOME - JUNE 2014 Year of Innovation Series Continues WEST ORANGE, NJ Turning the tinfoil phonograph from a curiosity into a commercial product – became a major project at West Orange. From the late 1880s to the 1920s Edison’s lab designed talking machines for office workers and produced phonographs and records that provided millions of consumers with pre-recorded music. Explore these ideas, attend a program, and see a special exhibit of original artifacts, documents and historic photos during the month of June at Thomas Edison National Historical Park (NHP). The programs are free and will be held at the Laboratory Complex at 211 Main Street unless noted. 1st Friday June 6th at 2:30 p.m. – Thomas Edison, Chemist National Historic Chemical Landmark Thomas West Orange Laboratory will be recognized as a National Historic Chemical Edison’s Landmark by the American Chemical Society. This honor reflects the many aspects of Thomas work in chemistry, in particular research into early plastics for phonograph records, Edison’s improvements to electrical storage batteries, and other developments that took place at the West Orange laboratory. For more information, visit the National Historic Chemical Landmarks website at . 2nd Saturday June 14th at 10:00 a.m. (especially for children) – Can you sell the Edison Phonograph? Edison often used his own image to sell his products. Join a ranger to design your own advertising poster to put an Edison phonograph in every home. 3rd Thursday June 19th at 7:00 p.m. – The Rise and Fall of West Orange Talking Machine Business Edison’s Leonard DeGraaf Edison pioneered the sound recording industry but by the 1920s his share of the market had declined considerably and he struggled to compete against radio and more agile rivals like the Victor Talking Machine Co. This program looks at how Edison developed the phonograph into a mass consumer product and how he responded to declining sales in the years following World War I. Leonard DeGraaf is an archivist at Thomas Edison National Historical Park and the author of Edison and the Rise of Innovation, (Sterling Signature, 2013). Continued
National Park Service Department of the Interior Thomas Edison National Historical Park 211 Main Street West Orange, NJ 07052 973 736-0550 phone 973 736-6567 fax Thomas Edison NHP News Release For Immediate Release Contact: Theresa Jung Phone: 973 736-0550 x50 A PHONOGRAPH IN EVERY HOME - JUNE 2014 Year of Innovation Series Continues WEST ORANGE, NJ – Turning the tinfoil phonograph from a curiosity into a commercial product became a major project at West Orange. From the late 1880s to the 1920s Edison’s lab designed talking machines for office workers and produced phonographs and records that provided millions of consumers with pre-recorded music. Explore these ideas, attend a program, and see a special exhibit of original artifacts, documents and historic photos during the month of June at Thomas Edison National Historical Park (NHP). The programs are free and will be held at the Laboratory Complex at 211 Main Street unless noted. 1st Friday – June 6th at 2:30 p.m. Thomas Edison, Chemist National Historic Chemical Landmark Thomas Edison’s West Orange Laboratory will be recognized as a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society. This honor reflects the many aspects of Thomas Edison’s work in chemistry, in particular research into early plastics for phonograph records, improvements to electrical storage batteries, and other developments that took place at the West Orange laboratory. For more information, visit the National Historic Chemical Landmarks website at . 2nd Saturday – June 14th at 10:00 a.m. (especially for children) Can you sell the Edison Phonograph? Edison often used his own image to sell his products. Join a ranger to design your own advertising poster to put an Edison phonograph in every home. 3rd Thursday – June 19th at 7:00 p.m. The Rise and Fall of Edison’s West Orange Talking Machine Business Leonard DeGraaf Edison pioneered the sound recording industry but by the 1920s his share of the market had declined considerably and he struggled to compete against radio and more agile rivals like the Victor Talking Machine Co. This program looks at how Edison developed the phonograph into a mass consumer product and how he responded to declining sales in the years following World War I. Leonard DeGraaf is an archivist at Thomas Edison National Historical Park and the author of Edison and the Rise of Innovation, (Sterling Signature, 2013). Continued
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