The Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition

This scrapbook covers the years of 1874-1878, with the majority of items falling in 1874 and 1875. Much of the material consists of clippings relating to automatic and multiple telegraphy and Edison's role in their development. Several clippings deal with the rivalry between the Western Union and the Atlantic & Pacific telegraph companies and their competing claims to ownership of Edison's quadruplex. There are also clippings concerning Edison's announcement of the discovery of etheric force and the resulting controversy. The 1878 items are articles on the phonograph and telephone. A few clippings deal with various other electrical matters. In addition, this volume contains samples of work done by the electric pen and the automatic and printing telegraph; circulars, including some from Edison companies; a few notes and instructions by Edison; a varnish formula; a rare metals price list in Edison's hand; a telegram to Edison from Thomas Eckert; business cards; and electrotypes of telegraph and other electrical devices. The volume contains approximately 150 unnumbered pages.

Not selected: nine pages of electrotypes similar to those in Scrapbook, Cat. 1178.