The Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition

[The images for the documents in this series are not currently available.]

These documents consist primarily of correspondence by Thomas A. Edison, Jr. (1876-1935), oldest son of Thomas Edison and his first wife, Mary Stilwell Edison. The twenty letters, which cover the period February 1898-March 1899, are mostly addressed to his stepmother, Mina Miller Edison, but there is also one letter to his father and one addressed jointly to his half-sister Madeleine and half-brother Charles. The topics discussed in the letters include Thomas's decision to sever connections with the Edison Jr. Lamp Co. at the insistence of his father, his trip to Fort Myers with his friend J. Henry Gill, and his involvement in the New York Electrical Exhibition. Also included are comments about the enlistment of his brother William in the army during the Spanish-American War; the possible return of his sister Marion to America; the birth of Mina's youngest son, Theodore; the death in combat of her youngest brother, Theodore Westwood Miller; and the death of her father, Lewis Miller. Several of the letters mention Marie Toohey (or Tuohey), an actress whom Thomas met in 1898 and married in February 1899. There are also numerous references to Thomas's health problems, as well as remarks about his estrangement from the Edison family and his desire for a reconciliation. In addition, there are comments about his interest in painting marine scenes and about a painting for Theodore that he sent over to Glenmont.

In addition to the correspondence, there are two photographs of Thomas as a child; three clippings from the Fort Myers Press relating to his visit to Florida; two printed circulars promoting the Magneto-Electric Vitalizer and the Wizard Ink Tablet (products manufactured by the Thomas A. Edison Jr. Chemical Co.); and a death notice published in Tips on the Ediphone.

Items not selected include photocopies and transparencies of some of the original letters; correspondence with Michele Wehrwein Albion, former curator of the Edison-Ford Winter Estates, regarding the newspaper clippings; "Lost in History: Thomas A. Edison, Jr.," by Rene Rondeau (printout from her Edison Jr. tribute site); and printouts downloaded from the Internet of two Edison Jr. items offered for sale on eBay—a green light blub with a brass base and a pair of landscapes dated "1896" and signed "Tom Edison."