ThomasAlvaEdison(1847-1931)

　　InventorThomasAlvaEdisonprofoundlyinfluencedmodernlifethroughinventionssuchastheincandescentlightbulb,thephonograph,andthemotionpicturecamera.Duringhislifetime,heacquired1,093patents,andmarketedmanyofhisinventionstothepublic.

　　AbriefbiographyofEdisonisfeaturedhere,alongwitharticlesfromjournalsofhisdayinwhichheofferedhisviewsonmusic,films,inventions,andothertopics.Famousforhismotionpictureandrecordedsoundinventions,Edisonhimselfappearshereinafilm(ADaywithThomasA.Edison)andonadiscrecording(LetUsNotForget).

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　　ThefirstgreatinventiondevelopedbyEdisoninMenloParkwasthetinfoilphonograph.Whileworkingtoimprovetheefficiencyofatelegraphtransmitter,henotedthatthetapeofthemachinegaveoffanoiseresemblingspokenwordswhenplayedatahighspeed.Thiscausedhimtowonderifhecouldrecordatelephonemessage.Hebeganexperimentingwiththediaphragmofatelephonereceiverbyattachinganeedletoit.Hereasonedthattheneedlecouldprickpapertapetorecordamessage.Hisexperimentsledhimtotryastylusonatinfoilcylinder,which,tohisgreatsurprise,playedbacktheshortmessageherecorded,"Maryhadalittlelamb.