This folder contains correspondence and other documents relating to the commercial and technical development of phonographs, particularly the business of the National Phonograph Co. Most of the items are letters to William E. Gilmore, president of the National Phonograph Co., from Charles E. Stevens, foreign agent for that company. Gilmore and Stevens were organizing phonograph sales abroad even though the Edison United Phonograph Co. had already been established to exploit the phonograph outside the United States. Also included are several items pertaining to the domestic phonograph market as well as an undated memorandum by Edison discussing financial arrangements to be made with Stevens. Several of Stevens's letters relate to motion picture as well as phonograph markets.

Approximately 85 percent of the documents have been selected. The following items have not been selected: perfunctory patent, trademark, and legal documents; documents that duplicate information in selected items.

The records of the National Phonograph Co. for the period 1900-1911 were removed from the Document File (Edison General File) and organized by the staff of the Edison National Historical Park as a separate record group. A finding aid is available. Selected items from this record group can be found in the Company Records Series.