Randy,
I like those points. You wrote: "Edison should have stepped aside sooner."
Yes, I think I agree as I consider that "what if" brainstorming.
I realize that there is abundant writing by a variety of people who
hypothetically consider many of the "if only Edison would have..." scenarios
(and the same is done concerning Victor, Columbia, Silvertone, etc.), but I
am of the opinion that the future of Victor, Edison, Columbia, and so on (at
least as I consider them as phonograph companies) was written on the wall
way back about 1906 or so (maybe as early as ). I say 1906 because that is
when De Forest added that 3rd, almost magical, electrode (i.e. the Audion or
triode) to Mr. Flemings variation of yet another original Edison invention,
the vacuum tube. Of course, we need to mention Alexander Graham Bell's 1876
fame with the first usable telephone whose principles would stimulate the
invention of the first electrical pickup. I think Eldridge Johnson was keen
to the writing on the wall, but not Edison.
When I think about Edison's use of a vacuum tube in the invention of the
light bulb I always wonder why on he didn't go on to invent the first
oscillator (Fleming did) and then to ponder how in blue blazes can a rich
spoiled liberal like Lee De Forest (and not Edison) invent the triode. After
all, these guys all referred to the space charge of electrons between the
electrodes as "The Edison Effect". So, why didn't Edison advance his own
inventions? I think I have part of the answer.
History marks Thomas Edison as chiefly being an inventor; a guy who seems to
have pulled revolutionary technology right out of thin air (at least back in
his day it probably seemed that way to the average horse ridin', candle
burnin', horrible piano playin' Joe). These things weren't mere paradigm
shifts like we tend to see in technology today, his inventions were radical.
I tend to think that he [Edison] invented the balls, so to speak, and always
purposefully left the rolling of them to someone else. Even way back, it
seems to me, and I am no historian whatsoever on the subject, that Thomas
Edison had little or no desire to glance ahead at the time line of
technology as to what could be. I suppose he was such a brass tacks
fundamentalist engineer that he was primarily concerned with "today" and not
so much about "tomorrow"... You gotta love the guy for what he did (and
didn't) do. But I have to admit that I for one am glad that his son
apparently did not inherit daddy's tone deaf chromosomes.
What ultimately killed the reign of the phonograph as the only game in town
was of course the radio. Although it is widely thought and published that
records sales were severely impacted by The Great Depression, I maintain
that technology, and not economy, are at the root. Think about it: Eldridge
Johnson invited the boys from RCA in a long time before the RCA takeover.
Johnson surely saw something of the future in that move and he understood
how to survive in business. Now for Edison, the poor dear: It is one thing
for an old fart (can I say that here Loran?) to allow his own flesh and
blood son to have some say over recording technology, but can you imagine
that old grouch smiling or shaking hands (and I don't mean fists) with David
Sarnoff? Can you hear Edison saying, "Hiya Dave, take my desk, you'll look
great sitting here."
There's a song from the 1980's by an obscure band, The Buggles, entitled
"Video Killed the Radio Star" that reminds me of the late 20's-early 30's.
It goes [in part]:
Pictures came and broke your heart, Put the blame on VTR.
Video Killed the Radio Star
Video Killed the Radio Star
{and so on}
Here is my adaptation to better fit 1920-1930 or so:
Radio came, put your records away, Blame it all on RCA.
Radio Killed the Phonograph Star
Radio Killed the Phonograph Star
It's ALLLLLLL Sarnoff's fault...LOL....
Walt
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2006 8:42 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Phono-L and Censorship
Towards the end of the Edison's company's days, the "Old Man" grudgingly
let
his son take a more active role in record production. That is why the late
Diamond Disks have some of the best music Edison ever released. The
selections
were "up to date," and wonderfully recorded. Edison should have stepped
aside sooner. Alas, he was not willing to do so until it was too late to
save the
company.
Randy
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