[LB040107], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Jesse Seligman, April 18th, 1890
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/LB040107
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Title
[LB040107], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Jesse Seligman, April 18th, 1890
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1890-04-18
Type
Folder/Volume ID
LB040-F
Microfilm ID
140:1041
Document ID
LB040107
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University
Has Version
Item sets
Transcription
April 18, 1890
Jesse W. Seligman, Esq.,
21 Broad Street,
New York City
My Dear Sir:-
I enclose herewith for your information a letter which I have received from J.H. Block, of Moscow, Russia, in regard to the phonograph in that country, attached to which are translations of communications concerning the instrument received by Mr. Block from Russian celebrities.
The phonograph exhibitions which Mr. Block refers to in his letter as being conducted by "travelling mountebanks," are undoubtedly doing us a great deal of harm, and should be stopped if possible. These people obtained the machines which they are exhibiting from Col. Gouraud; they know nothing about the instrument; now entirely ignorant of its operation and proper manipulation--[illegible] the wretched demonstrations which are made by them.
Should it be the location of the Edison United Phonograph Company to handle the Russian business through an agent, it will be impossible for them to find a more Competent Man than Mr. J.H. [remainder of page illegible] how to operate it to the best advantage, a knowledge which he acquired here in the Laboratory, where he had every facility for familiarizing himself with the phonograph in all its details. The result is that he has achieved a great success in exhibiting and explaining the phonograph in Russia, which he has done to the very best people in that country.
Kindly return to me Mr. Block's letter and accompanying translations after perusal; also a previous letter of which I sent you some time ago, to which translations were also attained.
Yours very truly,
Thos A. Edison
Jesse W. Seligman, Esq.,
21 Broad Street,
New York City
My Dear Sir:-
I enclose herewith for your information a letter which I have received from J.H. Block, of Moscow, Russia, in regard to the phonograph in that country, attached to which are translations of communications concerning the instrument received by Mr. Block from Russian celebrities.
The phonograph exhibitions which Mr. Block refers to in his letter as being conducted by "travelling mountebanks," are undoubtedly doing us a great deal of harm, and should be stopped if possible. These people obtained the machines which they are exhibiting from Col. Gouraud; they know nothing about the instrument; now entirely ignorant of its operation and proper manipulation--[illegible] the wretched demonstrations which are made by them.
Should it be the location of the Edison United Phonograph Company to handle the Russian business through an agent, it will be impossible for them to find a more Competent Man than Mr. J.H. [remainder of page illegible] how to operate it to the best advantage, a knowledge which he acquired here in the Laboratory, where he had every facility for familiarizing himself with the phonograph in all its details. The result is that he has achieved a great success in exhibiting and explaining the phonograph in Russia, which he has done to the very best people in that country.
Kindly return to me Mr. Block's letter and accompanying translations after perusal; also a previous letter of which I sent you some time ago, to which translations were also attained.
Yours very truly,
Thos A. Edison