[Phono-L] Theodore Edison
- Original Message - From: Bruce Mercer maxbu...@sigecom.net To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 3:05 PM Subject: Re: Phono-L Digest, Vol 3, Issue 109 -- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 02 May 2006 15:02:00 -0400 From: Dan Kj ediso...@verizon.net Subject: Re: [Phono-L] The Practical Long Play Record To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l@oldcrank.org Message-ID: 004a01c66e1a$e7120240$6600a...@new Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; reply-type=original So, did Theodore work on the Edison LP at all ? No. Charles picked up after T.A. retired in 1927, leaving him head of the company in that year. Both Charles and Theodore went to MIT with Theodore having a penchant for mathematical physics and was secretly pursuing electrical recording and playback in a separate laboratory set up for him. It was during this time that electrical recording 'finally' got into gear. It is Theodore we have to thank for the marvelous C-1 and C-2 phonographs. The pick-up is absolutely ingenious and the phonographs have a wonderful sound, especially playing the 52000 series. Unfortunately, they came too late. They were brought out late in 1928 and were the last phonographs made by the company. Very few C-1s are known. Only a few dozen C-2s are known to exist, of which I am a proud owner and can attest to their usual Edison quality. btw...the L.P. cylinder Edison made in 1899 had 450 grooves per inch. Obviously, it wasn't practical at that time either for even more reasons, one being a suitable material for pressing. Still, that's when the L.P. work began and was first achieved. As far as Theodore goes, I bow to him for the electronic phonographs and that ingenious pick-up with the offset diamond stylus. Bruce
[Phono-L] Theodore Edison
One thing that we need to check into and that is that Splitdorf Radio Co. beghan an association with Edison in June, 1928, at ffirst, manufacturing for Edison. By January, 1929, they had practically merged.. The acquisition of Splitdorf was of necessity to obtain their RCA license.The manufacturing operation was crude, and inadequate. The operation was moved to the Edison plant in West Orange. The R1,R2and C2 were Splitdorf designs that were put into production to get Edison into public hands. Later models were designed at Edison. This is from Alan Douglas' Radio Manufacturers of the twenties, vol. 3. While nothing was mentioned about the C1, its cabinet design pictured in the Douglas book, has a strong resemblance to a Splitdorf top line model of that period. I sort of suspect that the C1 was a Splitdorf design. The C1 was priced at $1100.00, which was a lot of mazuma in that time. The models C6 and C7 had been in production, and in 1931, a superheterodyne model was planned, but never built. - Original Message - From: Bruce Mercer maxbu...@sigecom.net To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 4:08 PM Subject: [Phono-L] Theodore Edison - Original Message - From: Bruce Mercer maxbu...@sigecom.net To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 3:05 PM Subject: Re: Phono-L Digest, Vol 3, Issue 109 -- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 02 May 2006 15:02:00 -0400 From: Dan Kj ediso...@verizon.net Subject: Re: [Phono-L] The Practical Long Play Record To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l@oldcrank.org Message-ID: 004a01c66e1a$e7120240$6600a...@new Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; reply-type=original So, did Theodore work on the Edison LP at all ? No. Charles picked up after T.A. retired in 1927, leaving him head of the company in that year. Both Charles and Theodore went to MIT with Theodore having a penchant for mathematical physics and was secretly pursuing electrical recording and playback in a separate laboratory set up for him. It was during this time that electrical recording 'finally' got into gear. It is Theodore we have to thank for the marvelous C-1 and C-2 phonographs. The pick-up is absolutely ingenious and the phonographs have a wonderful sound, especially playing the 52000 series. Unfortunately, they came too late. They were brought out late in 1928 and were the last phonographs made by the company. Very few C-1s are known. Only a few dozen C-2s are known to exist, of which I am a proud owner and can attest to their usual Edison quality. btw...the L.P. cylinder Edison made in 1899 had 450 grooves per inch. Obviously, it wasn't practical at that time either for even more reasons, one being a suitable material for pressing. Still, that's when the L.P. work began and was first achieved. As far as Theodore goes, I bow to him for the electronic phonographs and that ingenious pick-up with the offset diamond stylus. Bruce ___ Phono-L mailing list Phono-L@oldcrank.org Phono-L Archive http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/ Support Phono-L http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank
[Phono-L] Theodore Edison
I knew Theodore had worked at the Lab since he graduated in 1923, so it seemed unlikely that he'd have nothing to do with the LP work. I know I've read in more than one place about his LP work, but have had trouble remembering where. . Here's one quote, from Lee Munsick: Ask me sometime about the problems Theodore Edison told me he had in the development of the Edison Long Playing machine and recordings. . Lee also calls Theodore the project supervisor for the LP. - Original Message - From: Bruce Mercer maxbu...@sigecom.net To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 4:08 PM Subject: [Phono-L] Theodore Edison - Original Message - From: Bruce Mercer maxbu...@sigecom.net To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 3:05 PM Subject: Re: Phono-L Digest, Vol 3, Issue 109 -- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 02 May 2006 15:02:00 -0400 From: Dan Kj ediso...@verizon.net Subject: Re: [Phono-L] The Practical Long Play Record To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l@oldcrank.org Message-ID: 004a01c66e1a$e7120240$6600a...@new Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1; reply-type=original So, did Theodore work on the Edison LP at all ? No. Charles picked up after T.A. retired in 1927, leaving him head of the company in that year. Both Charles and Theodore went to MIT with Theodore having a penchant for mathematical physics and was secretly pursuing electrical recording and playback in a separate laboratory set up for him. It was during this time that electrical recording 'finally' got into gear. It is Theodore we have to thank for the marvelous C-1 and C-2 phonographs. The pick-up is absolutely ingenious and the phonographs have a wonderful sound, especially playing the 52000 series. Unfortunately, they came too late. They were brought out late in 1928 and were the last phonographs made by the company. Very few C-1s are known. Only a few dozen C-2s are known to exist, of which I am a proud owner and can attest to their usual Edison quality. btw...the L.P. cylinder Edison made in 1899 had 450 grooves per inch. Obviously, it wasn't practical at that time either for even more reasons, one being a suitable material for pressing. Still, that's when the L.P. work began and was first achieved. As far as Theodore goes, I bow to him for the electronic phonographs and that ingenious pick-up with the offset diamond stylus. Bruce
