[LB080-F] Letterbook, LB-080 (1909)
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Description
This letterbook covers the period May-September 1909. Most of the correspondence is by Edison, Harry F. Miller, and George A. Meister. Many of the letters pertain to the business of the Edison Portland Cement Co. and to Edison's accounts with J. P. Morgan & Co. Also included is correspondence regarding the ongoing manufacture of molds and patterns to be used in the construction of concrete houses, as well as letters discussing the continuing management and production difficulties at the ore concentration plant in the Dunderland region of Norway. In addition, there are letters concerning Edison's work on his alkaline storage battery, including a letter to Levi C. Weir, president of Adams Express Co., in which Edison describes his new battery as "an almost perfect instrument" and a letter to Sigmund Bergmann in which he mentions the testing of the battery on the submarines of the Italian navy. Among the items relating to family and personal matters are letters pertaining to Edison's opinion on the use of his kinetoscope as an educational tool in schools; his acceptance of a position on the Honorary Committee of the American Exposition in Berlin, Germany; and his recollections of the first central station for electric lighting. In addition, there are several letters involving the health problems of Thomas A. Edison, Jr.
The label on the front cover contains the following notation: "Thomas A. Edison Personal From May 7, 1909 To Sept. 24, 1909." There is an inscription on the spine with similar information. The book contains 701 numbered pages and an index. Approximately 15 percent of the book has been selected.