This volume chronicles one of the most important periods in Thomas A. Edison’s career. Between January 1879 and March 1881, Edison invented a complete system of electric light and power. Although the carbon-filament incandescent lamp was the most visible element of the system, Edison and his assistants also developed a new generator, a meter, underground conductors, and fuses and lamp sockets. In addition, they developed electric motors and built an experimental electric railway at the laboratory complex in Menlo Park, New Jersey. During the more than two years that Edison experimented on electric light and power, he greatly expanded his laboratory staff and facilities. In the process he created the first full-scale research and development facility in the United States. During 1880, as the work turned from research to development, Edison increasingly directed the research of his assistants who were each assigned a specific project.

The scale of Edison’s effort was made possible by the financial largesse of investors in the Edison Electric Light Company and the banking house of Drexel, Morgan & Co. Between October 1878 and March 1881, they provided nearly $130,000 for research and development. By the end of this period the success of the effort was evident as Edison moved his offices into New York and set about commercializing his new system. The electric light investors were willing to fund a central station in New York City to demonstrate the system and established the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of New York for this purpose. Because they were reluctant to expend more funds to manufacture system components, however, Edison used his own funds to establish manufacturing shops in associationPage xxvi with his closest assistants. The first of these, the Edison Electric Lamp Company, was in operation by the winter of 1881.

As was typical throughout his career, Edison did not work exclusively on electric light and power, despite the complexity of that project. Throughout 1879, he and Charles Batchelor, his principal experimental assistant, spent considerable time on the electromotograph telephone receiver, which Edison had developed initially for the British market. The sale of foreign rights provided Edison with significant income but intense competition among companies using the Edison, Bell, and other telephones in Britain and France led to consolidations in each of these countries; meanwhile, in the United States the Bell Telephone Company bought out Western Union’s telephone interests, including the rights to Edison’s telephone patents. Edison was kept abreast of the complex negotiations leading to these consolidations but relied on his representatives to handle them.

Edison also experimented briefly with a variety of technologies besides the telephone, most notably electromagnetic ore separation, which would occupy much of his time during the 1890s. He also conducted experiments on preserving fruit in a vacuum and on heavier-than-air flight. Nonetheless, Edison’s primary focus during the twenty-seven months covered in this volume was on electric light and power, and this would continue to dominate his time as he moved to New York and began his effort to introduce his system into the marketplace.

The progress of the Thomas A. Edison Papers depends on the support of many individuals and organizations, including the Sponsors, other financial contributors, academic scholars, Edison specialists, librarians, archivists, curators, and students. Representatives of the four Sponsors have assisted with this volume and the editors thank them for their continuing concern and attention. The strong support of public and private foundations and of their program officers has sustained the project and helped it remain editorially productive.

Preparation of this volume was made possible in part by grants from the Division of Research Programs (Collaborative Research) of the National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency; the National Historical Publications and Records Commission; the New Jersey Historical Commission; the Charles Edison Fund; the National Trust for the Humanities; as well as through the support of Rutgers,Page xxvii The State University of New Jersey, and the National Park Service (Edison National Historic Site). The editors appreciate the interest and support of the many program officers and trustees, especially Elizabeth Arndt, Michael Hall, Timothy Connolly, Howard Green, Mary Murrin, John P. Keegan, Ann Orr, and Thomas L. Morrissey. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are solely those of the editors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any of the above federal foundations or agencies, the United States Government, or any other financial contributor.

The Edison Papers project is indebted to the National Park Service for its multifaceted support. The editors express particular thanks to Marie Rust, John Maounis, and Nancy Waters of the Northeast Region and Maryanne Gerbauckas, Terri Jung, Roger Durham, Leonard DeGraaf, Douglas Tarr, Edward Wirth, Karen Sloat-Olsen, and Linda Deveau of the Edison National Historic Site in West Orange, New Jersey.

Many associates at Rutgers University have contributed significantly to the Edison Papers. The editors are grateful to Holly M. Smith, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and her predecessor Richard F. Foley, along with their dedicated staff, especially Barry V. Qualls, Dean for Humanities, and Robert Wilson, Executive Vice Dean. We would especially like to thank Judith Brooke, Associate Director of Development for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The editors value the support of colleagues and staff in the History Department, especially Ann Gordon, Deborah White, Philip J. Pauly, Susan Schrepfer, Michael Adas, James W. Reed, John Gillis, Ziva Galili, Rudy Bell, and John Chambers; Michael Geselowitz and his staff at the IEEE History Center; as well as members of the Rutgers University Libraries, notably Marianne Gaunt, Ruth Simmons, Ron Becker, Thomas Frusciano, and Grace Agnew. The support of the Rutgers University administration has encouraged the editors and facilitated their work. The staff of the project thank Joseph J. Seneca, David A. Rumbo, Ronald Thompson, Karen James, Jacquelyn Halvsa, Robert Thieme, Joseph M. Harrigan, Constance J. Bornheimer, Judith A. Garelick, Irma Lucy Cardinale, and Sameerah Diaab Allen. Roy Marantz and David Cruz of Rutgers Computing Services and John Amodeo, Thomas Vosseler and the staff of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Computer & Network Operations Group have offered their invaluable computer expertise.

Many scholars have shared their insights and assisted the editors in a variety of ways. For this volume, notable help camePage xxviii from Bernard W. Carlson, Bernard S. Finn, Robert Friedel, Leonard F. Guttridge, Charles Hummel, Peter L. Jakab, Sean F. Johnston, Ronald Kline, René Rondeau, and Marc Rothenberg.

Institutions and their staff have provided documents, photographs, photocopies, and research assistance. The staff of the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village—especially William S. Pretzer, Marc Greuther, Charles Hanson, Judy Endelman, Linda Skolarus, and Jeanine Head—have supplied many invaluable services. The editors appreciate the professional courtesies of John Fleckner and Robert Harding at the National Museum of American History’s Archives Center; John Liffen, Robert Bud, and Emily Lewis of the Science Museum in London; Tim Procter and Lenore Symons of the Institute of Electrical Engineers in London, Sheldon Hochheiser, AT&T Corporate Historian; Mary Bowling at New York Public Library; Florence Bartechevski of the Baker Library at Harvard University; the staff at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; and Irene Kovacs at the Foundation of the Postal and Telecommunication Museum in Budapest. The City of Ft. Myers, Florida, and the trustees and staff of its Edison-Ford Winter Homes—notably Michele Wehrwein Albion, Judy Suprise, Jim Newton, and Les Marietta—have assisted the Edison Papers. Outside computer advice has come from Michael Sperberg-McQueen and the members of the Model Editions Partnership.

Staff members, interns, and students not mentioned on the title page but who have contributed to this volume include Thomas E. Jeffrey, Theresa Collins, Linda Endersby, Janette Pardo, David Ranzan, Brian Shipley, Keith A. Barbera, Elva Kathleen Lyon, and Vicky Chen.

As always, the project has had the benefit of the superb staff of the Johns Hopkins University Press. For this volume, the editors are indebted to Robert J. Brugger, Melody Herr, Julie McCarthy, and Lee Sioles.