[LB081-F] Letterbook, LB-081 (1909-1910)
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Description
This letterbook covers the period September 1909-February 1910. Most of the correspondence is by Edison, Harry F. Miller, and George A. Meister. Many of the letters relate to laboratory work and supplies and to Edison's accounts with the Edison Portland Cement Co. and J. P. Morgan & Co. There is also correspondence regarding the resumption of production of Edison's alkaline storage battery; the manufacture of batteries in Germany and Great Britain; and ongoing progress in the development of molds and patterns to be used in the construction of the concrete house. Also included is a letter to J. A. Bensel, president of the New York City Board of Water Supply, in which Edison discusses a contract to supply cement for the construction of part of the Catskill aqueduct. Among the items pertaining to family and personal matters are letters concerning Edison's health; finances; membership in clubs and societies; charitable donations; and the upkeep of his winter home in Fort Myers, Florida. In addition, there is correspondence involving Edison's opinion of phrenology; Charles Edison's entrance into the freshman class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and a visit by a Chinese minister.
The label on the front cover contains the following notation: "Thomas A. Edison Personal From Sept. 27, 1909 To Feb. 5, 1910." There is an inscription on the spine with similar information. The book contains 702 numbered pages and an index. Approximately 10 percent of the book has been selected.