Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
hi all that was an interesting show charley hummel was the expert who bought the doll a wonderful great collector zono In a message dated 1/25/2013 6:10:12 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, riccib...@yahoo.com writes: Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
a very good book on edison was a streak of luck but he was no different from any other capitalist of his era In a message dated 1/25/2013 8:18:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, abefed...@gmail.com writes: Just make sure that you don't teach them everything about Edison, he was very hard on employees and paid a low working wage and fired most who disagreed with him. He had a strange view-almost myopic view about art, the people that produced it and music. If it didn't fit his view or like he simply dismissed it as inferior. And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Both men are viewed as great and in many cases they were-both both had some major flaws. Abe Feder On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 3:53 PM, Melissa Ricci riccib...@yahoo.com wrote: Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) with special regards to Joan Rolfs
Thanks Steve! ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Not to mention that it's really easy to trash someone who is 82 years beyond defending himself. - Original Message - From: George Glastris glast...@comcast.net To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l@oldcrank.org Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 2:07 AM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) Fascinating. I don't recall reading or hearing about his being anti-Semitic, but knowing how common that was I wouldn't be surprised. ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Edison got along fine, for many years, with his friend and (Jewish) business partner, Sigmund Bergmann, who built several of his first phonographs. Allen -- In a message dated 1/26/2013 2:23:16 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, glast...@comcast.net writes: And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
If you google edison antisemite you will come across an astonishing and lengthy screed about how the Jews created Hollywood so they could peddle filth and undermine Christian morals. It begins with the struggle of Jews to wrest filmmaking away from the Edison Trust, and strays into communism, socialism, Disney, unions, Unamerican Activities, and Howard Hughes. I didn't follow any of the other google links, having reeled away from the computer after reading that paranoid dump from which it is impossible to sift any kernels of truth. But to get back to some useful information about Edison, he didn't invent the light bulb. He did make it practical in many ways, from developing a thin carbon filament with high electrical resistance to devising all the other elements of a complete electrical system: generators, wiring, conduits, switches and cutouts, means of measuring electricity consumed, etc. He was an astonishing businessman. The most money he made came not from the light bulb, the phonograph, or telegraphy -- it came from his alkaline batteries, which made electric cars practicable. He dabbled in cement and designed houses and furniture molded out of cement. His last project was to synthesize rubber (from goldenrod) -- not a great success. Cheers, Chris ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Both Paul Israel's and Neil Baldwin's biographies of Edison have a few paragraphs on his attitudes towards the Jews. Baldwin's biography of Ford has more or less the same information as in his Edison book, and is quoted on his website: http://www.neilbaldwinbooks.com/book-related-information/bolshevik-menace-chapter-7 Paul Israel has this observation, based on a draft of a letter by Edison in 1911: As his views on labor suggested, Edison believed that environment played a crucial role in the development of human potential. These views also may explain why he believed in racial and ethnic stereotypes even though in his relations with employees and others whom he knew well he often acted in disregard of those same stereotypes. Israel also notes: ...he nonetheless thought that Jews as a group couldn't be trusted, and he held similar prejudices against other ethnic groups, such as Sicilians, whom he believed 'You can't trust...They'll stick a knife in your back.'. This came from a 1928 article on Edison. To me, Edison sounds typical of his time (unlike Ford, who was clearly racist and anti-Semitic); in fact his attitudes probably don't differ much from those of many on the far right today (except for the liberation of women). His views on labor, by the way, were that the machine (i.e. technology and industrialization) would free manual workers from drudgery and enable them to extend their intellectual capabilities. He extended this to women being freed from household work. Bill On 1/25/2013 10:32 PM, Melissa Ricci wrote: I had never heard of it before either until Abe mentioned it tonight. Since I am not an expert, I assumed there was supporting evidence. Glad to hear it may not be completely accurate. Melissa -- On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 9:47 PM EST Jim Nichol wrote: Abe, I've read DOZENS of biographies of Edison, and none of them said he was anti-Semitic. Some of them specifically said he was not anti-Semitic. Just because he knew Ford doesn't mean he agreed with him. Also, I don't recall any biographies saying Edison paid low wages or that employees didn't like him. Actually, it was quite the opposite, since my impression was that most loved The Old Man. I believe his closest associates (who helped him the most to develop inventions) tended to be rewarded rather well financially through bonuses. You're correct that his taste in music was very old-fashioned, sometimes odd, and not helped by his poor hearing. Jim Nichol ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Google: was Thomas Edison anti semitichttp://www.nndb.com/people/333/22267/ Like his friend Henry Ford, Edison was virulently anti-Semitic and blamed Jews for all of the world's major problems. This quote is according to the above website, which is a bio of TAE. It certainly isn't surprising, since Jews were not popular at that time (or now for that matter) in the US and the rest of the world - not just Germany. That's why a boat full of Jewish emigrants escaping from Nazi Germany and the holocaust of WWII were turned away by the US and other countries, even though it cost them their lives to return. Just saying Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 10:33:51 -0500 From: chris...@cox.net To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) If you google edison antisemite you will come across an astonishing and lengthy screed about how the Jews created Hollywood so they could peddle filth and undermine Christian morals. It begins with the struggle of Jews to wrest filmmaking away from the Edison Trust, and strays into communism, socialism, Disney, unions, Unamerican Activities, and Howard Hughes. I didn't follow any of the other google links, having reeled away from the computer after reading that paranoid dump from which it is impossible to sift any kernels of truth. But to get back to some useful information about Edison, he didn't invent the light bulb. He did make it practical in many ways, from developing a thin carbon filament with high electrical resistance to devising all the other elements of a complete electrical system: generators, wiring, conduits, switches and cutouts, means of measuring electricity consumed, etc. He was an astonishing businessman. The most money he made came not from the light bulb, the phonograph, or telegraphy -- it came from his alkaline batteries, which made electric cars practicable. He dabbled in cement and designed houses and furniture molded out of cement. His last project was to synthesize rubber (from goldenrod) -- not a great success. Cheers, Chris ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
NNDB cites no sources, nor its authors, and can hardly be considered reliable. Bill On 1/26/2013 11:24 AM, Vinyl Visions wrote: Google: was Thomas Edison anti semitichttp://www.nndb.com/people/333/22267/ Like his friend Henry Ford, Edison was virulently anti-Semitic and blamed Jews for all of the world's major problems. This quote is according to the above website, which is a bio of TAE. It certainly isn't surprising, since Jews were not popular at that time (or now for that matter) in the US and the rest of the world - not just Germany. That's why a boat full of Jewish emigrants escaping from Nazi Germany and the holocaust of WWII were turned away by the US and other countries, even though it cost them their lives to return. Just saying ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Google: was Thomas Edison anti semitichttp://www.nndb.com/people/333/22267/ Like his friend Henry Ford, Edison was virulently anti-Semitic and blamed Jews for all of the world's major problems. Not meaning to start an argument, but if you Google something, anything, you most definitely will find it. In the case of the he NNDBthis is a site that gives NO explanation of it's sources. It is in many cases actually slanted. In other words, distorted, and or far from objective. That being stated, for this reason I do not believe the NNDB when they say Edison an anti-Semite. Dennis --- On Sat, 1/26/13, Vinyl Visions vinyl.visi...@live.com wrote: From: Vinyl Visions vinyl.visi...@live.com Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) To: phono-l@oldcrank.org phono-l@oldcrank.org Date: Saturday, January 26, 2013, 11:24 AM Google: was Thomas Edison anti semitichttp://www.nndb.com/people/333/22267/ Like his friend Henry Ford, Edison was virulently anti-Semitic and blamed Jews for all of the world's major problems. This quote is according to the above website, which is a bio of TAE. It certainly isn't surprising, since Jews were not popular at that time (or now for that matter) in the US and the rest of the world - not just Germany. That's why a boat full of Jewish emigrants escaping from Nazi Germany and the holocaust of WWII were turned away by the US and other countries, even though it cost them their lives to return. Just saying Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 10:33:51 -0500 From: chris...@cox.net To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) If you google edison antisemite you will come across an astonishing and lengthy screed about how the Jews created Hollywood so they could peddle filth and undermine Christian morals. It begins with the struggle of Jews to wrest filmmaking away from the Edison Trust, and strays into communism, socialism, Disney, unions, Unamerican Activities, and Howard Hughes. I didn't follow any of the other google links, having reeled away from the computer after reading that paranoid dump from which it is impossible to sift any kernels of truth. But to get back to some useful information about Edison, he didn't invent the light bulb. He did make it practical in many ways, from developing a thin carbon filament with high electrical resistance to devising all the other elements of a complete electrical system: generators, wiring, conduits, switches and cutouts, means of measuring electricity consumed, etc. He was an astonishing businessman. The most money he made came not from the light bulb, the phonograph, or telegraphy -- it came from his alkaline batteries, which made electric cars practicable. He dabbled in cement and designed houses and furniture molded out of cement. His last project was to synthesize rubber (from goldenrod) -- not a great success. Cheers, Chris ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Especially since Edison himself had little or nothing to do with it. Edison Co. filmed it, for sure but that is like saying CBS filmed it. No one would assume CBS fried the elephant too. Ron L -Original Message- From: phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org] On Behalf Of Melissa Ricci Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 10:28 PM To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) I agree. It's a good idea that I leave that out! Melissa -- On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 8:28 PM EST Vinyl Visions wrote: You might not want to mention the elephant execution either... Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:01:46 -0700 From: abefed...@gmail.com To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) Just make sure that you don't teach them everything about Edison, he was very hard on employees and paid a low working wage and fired most who disagreed with him. He had a strange view-almost myopic view about art, the people that produced it and music. If it didn't fit his view or like he simply dismissed it as inferior. And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Both men are viewed as great and in many cases they were-both both had some major flaws. Abe Feder On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 3:53 PM, Melissa Ricci riccib...@yahoo.com wrote: Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Good observations. Actually, I am in agreement with you, as I found no sources to support their (NNDB) statements, either. That being said, I posted this to make a point: you CAN find anything on the internet to support ANY view that you choose to take. And, since it is posted by who knows who - you can't necessarily trust it - any more than the 24 hr news that bombards us everyday. Personally, I drive a Ford and own Edison machines, but I couldn't care less what political views either Henry Ford or Thomas Edison had, as I do not look up to either of them as perfect human role models - everyone has flaws. Neither of them took their views to the extreme and forced them on the entire population of a country or tried to annihilate an entire ethnic group - so that may be a positive, compared to other world leaders of the time. I don't agree with those views and wouldn't support them, but Ford and Edison both contributed more positive changes than negative and I couldn't do anything to change their negatives anyway, even if they were with us now. Truth is, you can only change your own negative attit udes, but you have to be aware of them. Every one of us has some built in stereotypes and judgments, relating to ethnic groups that we are not familiar with and that is just human nature. So, whenever I hear someone refer to another as racist, anti-semitic, anti-christian, anti-muslim, anti-mormon, anti-whatever, I take it with a grain of salt - unless that person is in a position to influence others on a large scale. Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 09:35:01 -0800 From: back...@yahoo.com To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) Google: was Thomas Edison anti semitichttp://www.nndb.com/people/333/22267/ Like his friend Henry Ford, Edison was virulently anti-Semitic and blamed Jews for all of the world's major problems. Not meaning to start an argument, but if you Google something, anything, you most definitely will find it. In the case of the he NNDBthis is a site that gives NO explanation of it's sources. It is in many cases actually slanted. In other words, distorted, and or far from objective. That being stated, for this reason I do not believe the NNDB when they say Edison an anti-Semite. Dennis --- On Sat, 1/26/13, Vinyl Visions vinyl.visi...@live.com wrote: From: Vinyl Visions vinyl.visi...@live.com Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) To: phono-l@oldcrank.org phono-l@oldcrank.org Date: Saturday, January 26, 2013, 11:24 AM Google: was Thomas Edison anti semitichttp://www.nndb.com/people/333/22267/ Like his friend Henry Ford, Edison was virulently anti-Semitic and blamed Jews for all of the world's major problems. This quote is according to the above website, which is a bio of TAE. It certainly isn't surprising, since Jews were not popular at that time (or now for that matter) in the US and the rest of the world - not just Germany. That's why a boat full of Jewish emigrants escaping from Nazi Germany and the holocaust of WWII were turned away by the US and other countries, even though it cost them their lives to return. Just saying Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 10:33:51 -0500 From: chris...@cox.net To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) If you google edison antisemite you will come across an astonishing and lengthy screed about how the Jews created Hollywood so they could peddle filth and undermine Christian morals. It begins with the struggle of Jews to wrest filmmaking away from the Edison Trust, and strays into communism, socialism, Disney, unions, Unamerican Activities, and Howard Hughes. I didn't follow any of the other google links, having reeled away from the computer after reading that paranoid dump from which it is impossible to sift any kernels of truth. But to get back to some useful information about Edison, he didn't invent the light bulb. He did make it practical in many ways, from developing a thin carbon filament with high electrical resistance to devising all the other elements of a complete electrical system: generators, wiring, conduits, switches and cutouts, means of measuring electricity consumed, etc. He was an astonishing businessman. The most money he made came not from the light bulb, the phonograph, or telegraphy -- it came from his alkaline batteries, which made electric cars practicable. He dabbled in cement and designed houses and furniture molded out of cement. His last project was to synthesize rubber (from goldenrod) -- not a great success. Cheers, Chris ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Abe, I have studied Edison for some thirty years. Could you please give me some concrete evidence that Edison was anti-Semitic? [...] Dennis? There is no doubt that Edison was anti-Semite. Here is evidence from Stollwerck archive, Cologne. Since 1895, Ludwig Stollwerck had business relations with Edison, and knew him personally from 1902, when they discussed future cooperations in Llewellyn Park. In a letter dated 28 July 1904, John H. Volkmann of Stollwerck Co., New York, strongly advised Ludwig Stollwerck not to send a Jewish director for contract negotiations with Edison, because, as you [Stollwerck] already know, Edison is highly anti-Semitic. (Translation from German, Stollwerck archive, Cologne) Stephan ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Try and keep in mind that being or expressing an anti-Semitic point of view was all the rage at the time these men lived. It means nothing today other than provide an opportunity for those people today who are not big fans of the captains of industry and invention of the late 19th and early 20th century a convienient mechanism to tear these individuals down and discredit them. George Washington owned slaves don't you know... On 01/26/2013 01:35 PM, Stephan Puille wrote: And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Abe, I have studied Edison for some thirty years. Could you please give me some concrete evidence that Edison was anti-Semitic? [...] Dennis? There is no doubt that Edison was anti-Semite. Here is evidence from Stollwerck archive, Cologne. Since 1895, Ludwig Stollwerck had business relations with Edison, and knew him personally from 1902, when they discussed future cooperations in Llewellyn Park. In a letter dated 28 July 1904, John H. Volkmann of Stollwerck Co., New York, strongly advised Ludwig Stollwerck not to send a Jewish director for contract negotiations with Edison, because, as you [Stollwerck] already know, Edison is highly anti-Semitic. (Translation from German, Stollwerck archive, Cologne) Stephan ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Hi All, Well I didn't think I would not get much interest in the statement but let me say this. I am of Jewish background and am married to a Christan and my closest friend is a Muslim who lives in Pakistan, who calls me brother. I have no axe to grind. But sometimes without knowing it we look at an individual and say that person is something special I should be like them, or I have not achieved what they have done so I am not as great. Today I think that it is important to know what our values are and what we believe in so that only do we know who we are but when we face someone they know in a short time who we are. Addressing a group of 300 college students in June in Pakistan brought that out and they knew, in a very short period of time who I was. I did not do specific research on Edison to prove or disprove that he was anti-Semitic-but he was very careful about which ones he associated with-just like Ford and he was very opposed to the fact that beyond the very Orthodox many were very liberal and he was very conservative. It was a sign of the times but often as time goes on we forget the negative and only think about the postives. I just wanted Melissa to know that while I think that Edison was a great man in his own way and that is the story that I told my children and my grandchildren-that he doesn't walk on water. There is a lot of other data as well but a number of members have already brought some of it out and I don't want to beat this to death...Melissa can tell the kids what she thinks is best. Abe On Sat, Jan 26, 2013 at 9:24 AM, Vinyl Visions vinyl.visi...@live.comwrote: Google: was Thomas Edison anti semitic http://www.nndb.com/people/333/22267/ Like his friend Henry Ford, Edison was virulently anti-Semitic and blamed Jews for all of the world's major problems. This quote is according to the above website, which is a bio of TAE. It certainly isn't surprising, since Jews were not popular at that time (or now for that matter) in the US and the rest of the world - not just Germany. That's why a boat full of Jewish emigrants escaping from Nazi Germany and the holocaust of WWII were turned away by the US and other countries, even though it cost them their lives to return. Just saying Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2013 10:33:51 -0500 From: chris...@cox.net To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) If you google edison antisemite you will come across an astonishing and lengthy screed about how the Jews created Hollywood so they could peddle filth and undermine Christian morals. It begins with the struggle of Jews to wrest filmmaking away from the Edison Trust, and strays into communism, socialism, Disney, unions, Unamerican Activities, and Howard Hughes. I didn't follow any of the other google links, having reeled away from the computer after reading that paranoid dump from which it is impossible to sift any kernels of truth. But to get back to some useful information about Edison, he didn't invent the light bulb. He did make it practical in many ways, from developing a thin carbon filament with high electrical resistance to devising all the other elements of a complete electrical system: generators, wiring, conduits, switches and cutouts, means of measuring electricity consumed, etc. He was an astonishing businessman. The most money he made came not from the light bulb, the phonograph, or telegraphy -- it came from his alkaline batteries, which made electric cars practicable. He dabbled in cement and designed houses and furniture molded out of cement. His last project was to synthesize rubber (from goldenrod) -- not a great success. Cheers, Chris ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
This is getting off the topic of phonographs, but there actually were quite a few light bulb inventors before Edison that put filaments into evacuated glass bulbs and patented their ideas. Edison's bulb was considered practical when he came up with a filament that was bright enough, would last long enough, and could be produced at a cost reasonable enough to be commercially successful. -- Greg Farmer - Original Message - From: Jim Nichol jnic...@fuse.net To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l@oldcrank.org Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 3:25 PM Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) This is my pet peeve! Edison DID invent the light bulb. To say he only perfected it is ridiculous. By definition, a light bulb consists of a glass bulb with a filament inside. Only Edison had that. This would be like saying that whoever invented stairs also invented the escalator, because the fact that the moving part is not significant to the definition of escalator. I think it is most telling that no one was selling light bulbs before Edison, and that Swan had actually stopped working on the light bulb before he saw what Edison did. Then he suddenly started crying that Edison stole his idea. Heck, for all the success that Swan had, he might as well have put a candle in a glass globe. Jim On Jan 26, 2013, at 10:33 AM, Chris Kocsis chris...@cox.net wrote: But to get back to some useful information about Edison, he didn't invent the light bulb. ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) with special regards to Joan Rolfs
Edison cared deeply for his customers, that is why the C H and K reproducers along with the 2 and 4 minute recorders were still being made and sold in the mid 1920's. By 1924 the recorder used the same box as the business recorder. On November 10, 1925 Clarence Ferguson purchased a 2 minute recorder and a Model C reproducer cup.The Model N continued to made for use in the Amberola 5 6 8 and 10. When it was found the regular N did not work in the 5 and 6 he made the N-56 in June of 1913, an obsolete reproducer to play the obsolete wax amberols on the new amberola machines. From the summer of 1901 to the end of 1914 2,099,997 (at least) of the small top reproducers were made as the B to K share serial numbers. From 1915 to 1929 around 19,000 C H K reproducer were made for obsolete machines. That Edison still supported the small carriage cylinder phongraphs in the 1920's is interesting. His company continued to do reproducer repairs in the 1920's as well. The nickel p lated copper diaphragm came out in 1915, cork gaskets in 1924. I own an H reproducer with a nickel plated diaphragm and cork gaskets. I have a photo of a repair tag for an H that was dated 10/10/23 with the dealers tag, the jobbers tag, and the original owners stub along with the box it was shipped in. In 1923 someone was still using an H that the factory repaired. We all know that the last Blue Amberols were made in lots of 100, Edison cared enough to provide new songs for his small group of mail order cylinder record buyers until nearly the end. When you think of all the things Edison did it is hard to imagine a world without him. The poured concrete houses he built are still standing. The spring washers on my 1917 C-250 bedplate still have their spring after 96 years. If Edison came back I think the thing that would amaze him the most is that so many people still enjoy his favorite invention, the phonograph. Edison was not perfect, neither am I. He had his ro ugh side as we all do. I applaud all those who work together to make this hobby more enjoyable, those who have written books, those who encourage interest in young people like Nick and Melissa. I wish when I went to school someone had cared enough to bring in a restored phonograph. What a way to make history come alive. http://www.hiddennj.com/2011/05/visiting-phillipsburgs-concrete-houses.html http://www.hackettstownlife.com/forum/419740 ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) with special regards to Joan Rolfs
Terrific email--- totally agree Sent from my iPhone On Jan 26, 2013, at 9:35 PM, Steven Medved steve_nor...@msn.com wrote: Edison cared deeply for his customers, that is why the C H and K reproducers along with the 2 and 4 minute recorders were still being made and sold in the mid 1920's. By 1924 the recorder used the same box as the business recorder. On November 10, 1925 Clarence Ferguson purchased a 2 minute recorder and a Model C reproducer cup.The Model N continued to made for use in the Amberola 5 6 8 and 10. When it was found the regular N did not work in the 5 and 6 he made the N-56 in June of 1913, an obsolete reproducer to play the obsolete wax amberols on the new amberola machines. From the summer of 1901 to the end of 1914 2,099,997 (at least) of the small top reproducers were made as the B to K share serial numbers. From 1915 to 1929 around 19,000 C H K reproducer were made for obsolete machines. That Edison still supported the small carriage cylinder phongraphs in the 1920's is interesting. His company continued to do reproducer repairs in the 1920's as well. The nickel p lated copper diaphragm came out in 1915, cork gaskets in 1924. I own an H reproducer with a nickel plated diaphragm and cork gaskets. I have a photo of a repair tag for an H that was dated 10/10/23 with the dealers tag, the jobbers tag, and the original owners stub along with the box it was shipped in. In 1923 someone was still using an H that the factory repaired. We all know that the last Blue Amberols were made in lots of 100, Edison cared enough to provide new songs for his small group of mail order cylinder record buyers until nearly the end. When you think of all the things Edison did it is hard to imagine a world without him. The poured concrete houses he built are still standing. The spring washers on my 1917 C-250 bedplate still have their spring after 96 years. If Edison came back I think the thing that would amaze him the most is that so many people still enjoy his favorite invention, the phonograph. Edison was not perfect, neither am I. He had his r o ugh side as we all do. I applaud all those who work together to make this hobby more enjoyable, those who have written books, those who encourage interest in young people like Nick and Melissa. I wish when I went to school someone had cared enough to bring in a restored phonograph. What a way to make history come alive. http://www.hiddennj.com/2011/05/visiting-phillipsburgs-concrete-houses.html http://www.hackettstownlife.com/forum/419740 ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
[Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Just make sure that you don't teach them everything about Edison, he was very hard on employees and paid a low working wage and fired most who disagreed with him. He had a strange view-almost myopic view about art, the people that produced it and music. If it didn't fit his view or like he simply dismissed it as inferior. And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Both men are viewed as great and in many cases they were-both both had some major flaws. Abe Feder On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 3:53 PM, Melissa Ricci riccib...@yahoo.com wrote: Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
You might not want to mention the elephant execution either... Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:01:46 -0700 From: abefed...@gmail.com To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) Just make sure that you don't teach them everything about Edison, he was very hard on employees and paid a low working wage and fired most who disagreed with him. He had a strange view-almost myopic view about art, the people that produced it and music. If it didn't fit his view or like he simply dismissed it as inferior. And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Both men are viewed as great and in many cases they were-both both had some major flaws. Abe Feder On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 3:53 PM, Melissa Ricci riccib...@yahoo.com wrote: Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Thanks for the tip, Abe! I will certainly leave all of that out. Especially the anti-Semitism! --- On Fri, 1/25/13, Abe Feder abefed...@gmail.com wrote: From: Abe Feder abefed...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l@oldcrank.org Date: Friday, January 25, 2013, 7:01 PM Just make sure that you don't teach them everything about Edison, he was very hard on employees and paid a low working wage and fired most who disagreed with him. He had a strange view-almost myopic view about art, the people that produced it and music. If it didn't fit his view or like he simply dismissed it as inferior. And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Both men are viewed as great and in many cases they were-both both had some major flaws. Abe Feder On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 3:53 PM, Melissa Ricci riccib...@yahoo.com wrote: Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison- anti-Semitic???
And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Abe, I have studied Edison for some thirty years. Could you please give me some concrete evidence that Edison was anti-Semitic? Yes...we know that Ford idolized Edison, and we have proof of Ford's antisemitism. But where is the proof for Edison? Edison admired Ford for his inventiveness and business production, but I have yet to find any facts saying that Edison approved or agreed with Ford's anti-Semitic ideas. Please enlighten me and others, if you can. Dennis --- On Fri, 1/25/13, Abe Feder abefed...@gmail.com wrote: From: Abe Feder abefed...@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l@oldcrank.org Date: Friday, January 25, 2013, 7:01 PM Just make sure that you don't teach them everything about Edison, he was very hard on employees and paid a low working wage and fired most who disagreed with him. He had a strange view-almost myopic view about art, the people that produced it and music. If it didn't fit his view or like he simply dismissed it as inferior. And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Both men are viewed as great and in many cases they were-both both had some major flaws. Abe Feder On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 3:53 PM, Melissa Ricci riccib...@yahoo.com wrote: Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Abe, I've read DOZENS of biographies of Edison, and none of them said he was anti-Semitic. Some of them specifically said he was not anti-Semitic. Just because he knew Ford doesn't mean he agreed with him. Also, I don't recall any biographies saying Edison paid low wages or that employees didn't like him. Actually, it was quite the opposite, since my impression was that most loved The Old Man. I believe his closest associates (who helped him the most to develop inventions) tended to be rewarded rather well financially through bonuses. You're correct that his taste in music was very old-fashioned, sometimes odd, and not helped by his poor hearing. Jim Nichol On Jan 25, 2013, at 7:01 PM, Abe Feder abefed...@gmail.com wrote: Just make sure that you don't teach them everything about Edison, he was very hard on employees and paid a low working wage and fired most who disagreed with him. He had a strange view-almost myopic view about art, the people that produced it and music. If it didn't fit his view or like he simply dismissed it as inferior. And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Both men are viewed as great and in many cases they were-both both had some major flaws. Abe Feder On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 3:53 PM, Melissa Ricci riccib...@yahoo.com wrote: Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
I agree. It's a good idea that I leave that out! Melissa -- On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 8:28 PM EST Vinyl Visions wrote: You might not want to mention the elephant execution either... Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:01:46 -0700 From: abefed...@gmail.com To: phono-l@oldcrank.org Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) Just make sure that you don't teach them everything about Edison, he was very hard on employees and paid a low working wage and fired most who disagreed with him. He had a strange view-almost myopic view about art, the people that produced it and music. If it didn't fit his view or like he simply dismissed it as inferior. And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Both men are viewed as great and in many cases they were-both both had some major flaws. Abe Feder On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 3:53 PM, Melissa Ricci riccib...@yahoo.com wrote: Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
I had never heard of it before either until Abe mentioned it tonight. Since I am not an expert, I assumed there was supporting evidence. Glad to hear it may not be completely accurate. Melissa -- On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 9:47 PM EST Jim Nichol wrote: Abe, I've read DOZENS of biographies of Edison, and none of them said he was anti-Semitic. Some of them specifically said he was not anti-Semitic. Just because he knew Ford doesn't mean he agreed with him. Also, I don't recall any biographies saying Edison paid low wages or that employees didn't like him. Actually, it was quite the opposite, since my impression was that most loved The Old Man. I believe his closest associates (who helped him the most to develop inventions) tended to be rewarded rather well financially through bonuses. You're correct that his taste in music was very old-fashioned, sometimes odd, and not helped by his poor hearing. Jim Nichol On Jan 25, 2013, at 7:01 PM, Abe Feder abefed...@gmail.com wrote: Just make sure that you don't teach them everything about Edison, he was very hard on employees and paid a low working wage and fired most who disagreed with him. He had a strange view-almost myopic view about art, the people that produced it and music. If it didn't fit his view or like he simply dismissed it as inferior. And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Both men are viewed as great and in many cases they were-both both had some major flaws. Abe Feder On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 3:53 PM, Melissa Ricci riccib...@yahoo.com wrote: Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :)
Fascinating. I don't recall reading or hearing about his being anti-Semitic, but knowing how common that was I wouldn't be surprised. I know he was no friend to labor and had more than his fair share of strikes. I'm sure those who worked more closely to him felt lucky to be working for such a man or at least felt it would look good on the resume, but I don't think people who were basically factory workers gave more than half a damnthey just needed the job. And let's face it, assembling phonographs all day was probably not the most rewarding career. -Original Message- From: Abe Feder Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:01 PM To: Antique Phonograph List Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Little Known Facts About Edison :) Just make sure that you don't teach them everything about Edison, he was very hard on employees and paid a low working wage and fired most who disagreed with him. He had a strange view-almost myopic view about art, the people that produced it and music. If it didn't fit his view or like he simply dismissed it as inferior. And just like his good friend Henry Ford he was very anti-Semitic. Both men are viewed as great and in many cases they were-both both had some major flaws. Abe Feder On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 3:53 PM, Melissa Ricci riccib...@yahoo.com wrote: Hello Everybody, As many of you know, I am a middle school music/band teacher and I always run a unit about Edison and the phonograph. We always end the unit by recording on a wax cylinder. For the first time in many years, I am teaching two 6th grade general music classes along with my band classes this year. Today was the first time I approached the topic of Thomas A. Edison. To see where the class was with their present knowledge of Edison, I broke the kids into groups and asked them to write down everything they knew or thought they knew about him. Here is what the majority of the class wrote down: 1. Edison was the 2nd, 3rd or 16th president of the United States. We're not sure which.2. Edison was originally from England.3. Edison's face is on the $20.00 bill.4. Edison was a male.5. Edison probably had a wife and might have had children.6. Edison died a very long, long, long time ago.7. Edison helped to write the constitution.8. Edison had very long, wild hair.9. Edison was very old. One student surprised me by writing that Edison invented the first talking doll. I was amazed so I asked her where she had learned that information. It turns our that it was on a recent episode of a TV show called Oddities. Who says TV can't teach! Obviously, I plan on starting at the very beginning of Edison's life and of course his many inventions of which not even the light bulb was mentioned. If any of you have any words of wisdom or little known/especially interesting facts about Edison, please let me know. I plan on going pretty in depth with these kids so anything I can learn will only help me capture their interest and put these misconceptions to rest once and for all. Thanks!Melissa ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org ___ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.org
