What If
Pushed out of the electrical industry he helped create, Thomas Edison turned repeated challenges in the 1890s to his advantage and cemented his legacy as America's greatest inventor. Where others might see disaster and failure [Thomas Edison] was always optimistically looking for opportunities and seeing the possibility of new directions for improvements. Paul Israel, Director and General Editor, Thomas A. Edison Papers, Rutgers University
An Innovator Recognized
A small crowd gathered on a wooden platform in the middle of a dirt field to celebrate one of the world’s most prolific inventors. The weather was unseasonably cold and blustery for late September in Dearborn, Michigan, but the group, dressed in hats and coats, waited patiently through dusty gusts of wind. A Ford Model A slowed to the side of the platform, and out stepped Thomas Edison, spade in hand.
Ignoring the handrails, Edison bounded up the platform's steps at a pace uncommon for an 81-year-old suffering from a cold. Smiling, he strode past the crowd and pressed the spade into a block of wet cement. Taking care to leave footprints in the drying block, Edison stepped down to join Henry Ford and with a typical Edison flourish, signed his name in the cement along with the date, September 27, 1928.
The spade had belonged to a friend, famed botanist and horticulturalist Luther Burbank, who brought the world hundreds of new plant varieties. Similarly, Edison introduced hundreds of his own technological inventions to the world. Together, Burbank's spade and the cement block signed by Edison represented the union of agriculture and industry, two pillars of American innovation. This unity formed the cornerstone of Henry Ford's new museum, an institution devoted to documenting America's story.
On that late September day, Ford dedicated the new museum to (and named it after) his hero and friend Thomas Edison, the person that he believed best represented America's innovative spirit. Ironically, Edison’s name became synonymous with success not only in spite of, but because of, his many failures.
Failure is Fundamental
In late 1879, Thomas Edison successfully tested an incandescent lamp that lasted long enough to be commercially profitable, but only after experimenting with thousands of materials to find an effective filament. Early on, platinum filaments had proved promising. Edison, knowing that he would need to secure large quantities of the metal if he was to sell his incandescent lamp at a reasonable price, immersed himself in literature on geology, mining, and mineral processing.
Although platinum filaments didn’t end up working out, mining captured Edison’s curiosity and his interest expanded from platinum to gold ore. While developing society-transforming innovations like electric light and electrical distribution, Edison also organized the Edison Ore-Milling Company and filed a patent for an electromagnetic ore separator, an invention that extracted magnetic metal ore from pulverized rock.
For much of the 1880s, Thomas Edison focused on commercializing electric light, installing electrical systems and power stations to support his electricity customers. However, in 1892, Edison's business partners merged his electric company with a rival's, leaving him with only stock. The new company dropped Edison’s name from the title, finalizing his exit from the electrical industry. Afterwards, Edison told a colleague: "I'm going to do something now so different and so much bigger than anything I've ever done before people will forget that my name ever was connected with anything electrical."
I'm going to do something now so different and so much bigger than anything I've ever done before people will forget that my name ever was connected with anything electrical.
Thomas Edison
A Rocky Road Ahead
Thomas Edison at the Edison Ore-Milling Company Office, Ogdensburg, New Jersey, 1895
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
14 February 1930
Summary
During the 1890s, Thomas Edison launched a New Jersey mining operation to address an iron ore shortage. He designed rock-crushing technology and an electromagnetic ore separator to extract low-grade ore from crushed boulders. The final product -- a briquette made of powdered iron ore -- didn't do well commercially, especially after high-grade ore was discovered around Lake Superior. In 1899, Edison left the industry.
Object ID
P.188.1762
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison at the Edison Ore-Milling Company Office, Ogdensburg, New Jersey, 1895
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
By the time of the merger, Edison's focus was shifting. He had relied heavily on iron, and the steel that it produced, for his electrical enterprises. In the late nineteenth century, the eastern iron ore mines of the United States were becoming quickly depleted. High-grade ore from a few Midwestern mines remained too expensive to transport and mining low-grade ore proved economically unfeasible – leaving the eastern steel and iron industries faltering.
In the iron ore shortage, Edison saw a way to economize the mining of low-grade ore with his electromagnetic ore separator. He launched a new company, filed for new ore separator patents, and scaled up experiments in ore processing plants. Eventually Edison acquired an old iron ore mine in northern New Jersey that still contained large quantities of low-grade ore. In 1890, he designed and built a plant near the mine in an attempt to turn that low-grade ore into a profitable product.
At the new plant, Edison implemented a cutting edge, automated process. An enormous steam shovel loaded mined boulders into carts, which carried them to a steel conveyor belt leading to the top of a tall building. Inside, the rocks dropped through multiple sets of massive rollers, which crushed them into a fine, sand-like powder. Carried by conveyor belt to another tower, the powder fell past hundreds of electromagnets that pulled granules of iron to one side while waste sand fell on the other. The concentrated iron ore powder could then be sold and shipped to eastern steel mills.
Iron Ore Briquette from Edison Mines, New Jersey, 1890-1899
Artifact
Briquet (fuel)
Date Made
1890-1899
Summary
During the 1890s, Thomas Edison launched a New Jersey mining operation to address an iron ore shortage. He designed rock-crushing technology and an electromagnetic ore separator to extract low-grade ore from crushed boulders. The final product -- a briquette made of powdered iron ore -- didn't do well commercially, especially after high-grade ore was discovered around Lake Superior. In 1899, Edison left the industry.
Place of Creation
Keywords
Object ID
29.1116.2
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Iron Ore Briquette from Edison Mines, New Jersey, 1890-1899
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Edison soon ran into setbacks with his ore concentrating process. Massive rollers broke loose, abrasive dust covered everything, and several workmen died in machinery accidents. Some ore powder blew away during transport to the steel mills; still more blew away in steel mill furnaces. With his interest in the electrical industry behind him, Edison turned his full attention to problem-solving at the plant. One successful development, a glue-like substance that bound the iron powder in briquettes, allowed his iron ore to be transported and used effectively in steelmaking.
From 1894 to 1897, Edison spent nearly all his time tinkering at the plant, only coming home on Sundays. Despite modest demand for the ore he was producing, Edison frequently shut down the plant to redesign machinery and rebuild inefficient structures. As Edison sank more money into his now-failing project, investors left, workers lost faith, and foremen resigned. To keep his plant running, Edison sold the stock from his electric company merger and went into debt. The final blow came with the opening of the Mesabi iron range in the Midwest. High-grade iron ore became plentiful again, leaving Edison's iron ore powder unneeded.
By the end of the 1890s, Thomas Edison had spent nearly ten years and more than two million dollars attempting to build an industry around the mining of low-grade iron ore. Deeply in debt, Edison shuttered his operations, but in true Edison fashion, saw new opportunity rise from the dust of his failed mining venture.
Cementing a Legacy
"Edison Cast Concrete House," 1908-1915
Artifact
Brochure
Date Made
1908-1915
Summary
In 1899, after a failed attempt at ore mining, Thomas Edison formed the Edison Portland Cement Company. At his plant, Edison combined his mining operation's rock-crushing technology with new machinery he developed, like a more efficient cement kiln. These innovations drove overproduction in the cement industry, leading Edison to propose a radical use for the excess product -- concrete houses for working class families.
Place of Creation
Keywords
Object ID
2017.0.11.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
"Edison Cast Concrete House," 1908-1915
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Cement had been used for centuries, but in the early 1800s, a British stonemason named Joseph Aspdin devised a recipe of carefully proportioned ingredients to make a stronger and more durable version, which he called Portland. By the late nineteenth century, as people found new uses for the material, U.S. demand for Portland cement grew. Thomas Edison's initial exposure to the industry began with selling waste sand from his ore separator to cement manufacturers. When his mining operations failed, Edison saw an opportunity for his rock crushing technology to be used in the growing cement industry and founded the Edison Portland Cement Company.
By 1907, Edison had constructed another plant in northern New Jersey. His new company was on its way to becoming America’s largest cement producer, partially due to Edison's redesign of the rotatory kilns used in cement-making. Edison's kilns operated so efficiently, they set new industry standards and ultimately led to the overproduction of cement, making it unprofitable.
Hoping to drive demand, Edison explored new uses for the building material. One grand experiment attempted to solve the shortage of affordable housing for working class families. Using giant iron molds, Edison created entire houses of cement at the rate of one per day. Ultimately, mass-producing houses with Edison's process proved too expensive for builders to adopt. However, the Edison Portland Cement Company eventually profited from the general expansion of cement use in infrastructure, and Edison was able to repay the debt incurred from his ore mining ventures.
On that windy day in late September, 1928, Henry Ford cast a block of Portland cement at the future site of the museum he dedicated to Thomas Edison. The cement cornerstone -- made with blast-furnace slag, a stony waste material separated out of metal during the ore refining process -- represented more than Edison’s technological contributions. The cornerstone embodied Edison's life-long relationship with failure and success, from electric lighting to ore mining to Portland cement. The very cement that shaped the block not only captured Edison's signature, but also his defining characteristic: the ability to turn failure into opportunity.
Ryan Jelso is Associate Curator, Digital Content at The Henry Ford.
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Cornerstone of Edison Institute Signed by Thomas A. Edison, September 27, 1928
Artifact
Cornerstone
Date Made
1928
Summary
The cornerstone commemorates the dedication of The Henry Ford. It suggests a union of nature (Luther Burbank's spade) and technology (Edison's signature and footprints). That unity is borne out by the block itself, made from Portland cement refined from blast furnace slag at the Ford's Rouge plant--a great example of Henry Ford approaching industry like a good farmer, denying the concept of waste.
Place of Creation
Object ID
28.376.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Cornerstone of Edison Institute Signed by Thomas A. Edison, September 27, 1928
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Henry Ford and Others Watching Thomas Edison Sign the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Details
Henry Ford and Others Watching Thomas Edison Sign the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
27 September 1928
Summary
September 27th, 1928, on the future site of Henry Ford's new museum, famed inventor Thomas Edison placed a spade once used by legendary horticulturist Luther Burbank into a block of freshly poured Portland cement. Ford looked on as his friend and personal hero wrote his name in the wet cement, officially dedicating Henry Ford Museum--where this "cornerstone" is now displayed.
Object ID
EI.1929.7301
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Henry Ford and Others Watching Thomas Edison Sign the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Henry Ford and Others Watching Thomas Edison Sign the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Details
Henry Ford and Others Watching Thomas Edison Sign the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
27 September 1928
Summary
September 27th, 1928, on the future site of Henry Ford's new museum, famed inventor Thomas Edison placed a spade once used by legendary horticulturist Luther Burbank into a block of freshly poured Portland cement. Ford looked on as his friend and personal hero wrote his name in the wet cement, officially dedicating Henry Ford Museum--where this "cornerstone" is now displayed.
Place of Creation
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.5501
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Henry Ford and Others Watching Thomas Edison Sign the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Henry Ford and Others Watching Thomas Edison Sign the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Details
Henry Ford and Others Watching Thomas Edison Sign the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
September 27th, 1928, on the future site of Henry Ford's new museum, famed inventor Thomas Edison placed a spade once used by legendary horticulturist Luther Burbank into a block of freshly poured Portland cement. Ford looked on as his friend and personal hero wrote his name in the wet cement, officially dedicating Henry Ford Museum--where this "cornerstone" is now displayed.
Place of Creation
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.5511
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Henry Ford and Others Watching Thomas Edison Sign the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Henry Ford Watching Thomas Edison Sign Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
September 27th, 1928, on the future site of Henry Ford's new museum, famed inventor Thomas Edison placed a spade once used by legendary horticulturist Luther Burbank into a block of freshly poured Portland cement. Ford looked on as his friend and personal hero wrote his name in the wet cement, officially dedicating Henry Ford Museum--where this "cornerstone" is now displayed.
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.5524
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Henry Ford Watching Thomas Edison Sign Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison Placing Luther Burbank's Spade into the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Details
Thomas Edison Placing Luther Burbank's Spade into the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
September 27th, 1928, on the future site of Henry Ford's new museum, famed inventor Thomas Edison placed a spade once used by legendary horticulturist Luther Burbank into a block of freshly poured Portland cement. Afterwards, Ford watched his friend and personal hero write his name in the wet cement, officially dedicating Henry Ford Museum--where this "cornerstone" is now displayed.
Place of Creation
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.5521
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison Placing Luther Burbank's Spade into the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison Placing Luther Burbank's Spade into the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Details
Thomas Edison Placing Luther Burbank's Spade into the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
27 September 1928
Summary
September 27th, 1928, on the future site of Henry Ford's new museum, famed inventor Thomas Edison placed a spade once used by legendary horticulturist Luther Burbank into a block of freshly poured Portland cement. Afterwards, Ford watched his friend and personal hero write his name in the wet cement, officially dedicating Henry Ford Museum--where this "cornerstone" is now displayed.
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.5517.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison Placing Luther Burbank's Spade into the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison with the Newly Signed Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Details
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison with the Newly Signed Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
September 27th, 1928, on the future site of Henry Ford's new museum, famed inventor Thomas Edison placed a spade once used by legendary horticulturist Luther Burbank into a block of freshly poured Portland cement. Ford looked on as his friend and personal hero wrote his name in the wet cement, officially dedicating Henry Ford Museum--where this "cornerstone" is now displayed.
Place of Creation
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.5513
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Henry Ford and Thomas Edison with the Newly Signed Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison Signing the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
September 27th, 1928, on the future site of Henry Ford's new museum, famed inventor Thomas Edison placed a spade once used by legendary horticulturist Luther Burbank into a block of freshly poured Portland cement. Ford looked on as his friend and personal hero wrote his name in the wet cement, officially dedicating Henry Ford Museum--where this "cornerstone" is now displayed.
Object ID
EI.1929.P.188.5498
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison Signing the Edison Institute Cornerstone, September 27, 1928
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison and Another Man at Edison's Ore-Concentrating Works, Ogdensburg, New Jersey, circa 1895
Details
Thomas Edison and Another Man at Edison's Ore-Concentrating Works, Ogdensburg, New Jersey, circa 1895
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
During the 1890s, Thomas Edison launched a New Jersey mining operation to address an iron ore shortage. He designed rock-crushing technology and an electromagnetic ore separator to extract low-grade ore from crushed boulders. The final product -- a briquette made of powdered iron ore -- didn't do well commercially, especially after high-grade ore was discovered around Lake Superior. In 1899, Edison left the industry.
Object ID
84.1.1630.P.188.14629
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison and Another Man at Edison's Ore-Concentrating Works, Ogdensburg, New Jersey, circa 1895
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Alfred Muller, William Kent, Thomas Edison and A. Ruce at Edison's Ore-Concentrating Works, October 1891
Details
Alfred Muller, William Kent, Thomas Edison and A. Ruce at Edison's Ore-Concentrating Works, October 1891
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
During the 1890s, Thomas Edison launched a New Jersey mining operation to address an iron ore shortage. He designed rock-crushing technology and an electromagnetic ore separator to extract low-grade ore from crushed boulders. The final product -- a briquette made of powdered iron ore -- didn't do well commercially, especially after high-grade ore was discovered around Lake Superior. In 1899, Edison left the industry.
Creators
Keywords
United States, New York, Ogdensburg
Muller, Alfred, 1849 or 1855-1896
Object ID
84.1.1630.P.B.25261
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Alfred Muller, William Kent, Thomas Edison and A. Ruce at Edison's Ore-Concentrating Works, October 1891
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison at His Ore Concentrating Plant in Ogdensburg, New Jersey, circa 1896
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
During the 1890s, Thomas Edison launched a New Jersey mining operation to address an iron ore shortage. He designed rock-crushing technology and an electromagnetic ore separator to extract low-grade ore from crushed boulders. The final product -- a briquette made of powdered iron ore -- didn't do well commercially, especially after high-grade ore was discovered around Lake Superior. In 1899, Edison left the industry.
Object ID
84.1.1630.P.188.9730
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison at His Ore Concentrating Plant in Ogdensburg, New Jersey, circa 1896
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison With Others at His Ore Concentrating Plant in Ogdensburg, New Jersey, circa 1896
Details
Thomas Edison With Others at His Ore Concentrating Plant in Ogdensburg, New Jersey, circa 1896
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
During the 1890s, Thomas Edison launched a New Jersey mining operation to address an iron ore shortage. He designed rock-crushing technology and an electromagnetic ore separator to extract low-grade ore from crushed boulders. The final product -- a briquette made of powdered iron ore -- didn't do well commercially, especially after high-grade ore was discovered around Lake Superior. In 1899, Edison left the industry.
Object ID
84.1.1630.P.B.25259
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison With Others at His Ore Concentrating Plant in Ogdensburg, New Jersey, circa 1896
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison at His Ore-Concentrating Works, circa 1897
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
During the 1890s, Thomas Edison launched a New Jersey mining operation to address an iron ore shortage. He designed rock-crushing technology and an electromagnetic ore separator to extract low-grade ore from crushed boulders. The final product -- a briquette made of powdered iron ore -- didn't do well commercially, especially after high-grade ore was discovered around Lake Superior. In 1899, Edison left the industry.
Keywords
Object ID
84.1.1630.P.188.14628
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison at His Ore-Concentrating Works, circa 1897
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison at the Edison Ore-Milling Company Office, Ogdensburg, New Jersey, 1895
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
14 February 1930
Summary
During the 1890s, Thomas Edison launched a New Jersey mining operation to address an iron ore shortage. He designed rock-crushing technology and an electromagnetic ore separator to extract low-grade ore from crushed boulders. The final product -- a briquette made of powdered iron ore -- didn't do well commercially, especially after high-grade ore was discovered around Lake Superior. In 1899, Edison left the industry.
Object ID
P.188.1762
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison at the Edison Ore-Milling Company Office, Ogdensburg, New Jersey, 1895
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison at His Laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, 1898
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
05 November 1929
Summary
This photograph shows inventor Thomas Alva Edison at work in his West Orange, New Jersey, laboratory. Edison directed teams of research assistants here for nearly fifty years -- from 1887 until his death in 1931. More than half of Edison's 1,093 patents resulted from the collaborative work done in this complex, which became a model for modern research and development laboratories.
Object ID
84.1.1630.P.188.1349
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison at His Laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, 1898
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison at His Laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, 1898
Artifact
Photographic print
Date Made
05 November 1929
Summary
This photograph shows inventor Thomas Alva Edison at work in his West Orange, New Jersey, laboratory. Edison directed teams of research assistants here for nearly fifty years -- from 1887 until his death in 1931. More than half of Edison's 1,093 patents resulted from the collaborative work done in this complex, which became a model for modern research and development laboratories.
Object ID
84.1.1630.P.188.1346
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison at His Laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, 1898
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Iron Ore Briquette from Edison Mines, New Jersey, 1890-1899
Artifact
Briquet (fuel)
Date Made
1890-1899
Summary
During the 1890s, Thomas Edison launched a New Jersey mining operation to address an iron ore shortage. He designed rock-crushing technology and an electromagnetic ore separator to extract low-grade ore from crushed boulders. The final product -- a briquette made of powdered iron ore -- didn't do well commercially, especially after high-grade ore was discovered around Lake Superior. In 1899, Edison left the industry.
Place of Creation
Keywords
Object ID
29.1116.2
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Iron Ore Briquette from Edison Mines, New Jersey, 1890-1899
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Iron Ore Briquette from Edison Mines, New Jersey, 1899-1900
Artifact
Briquet (fuel)
Date Made
1899-1900
Summary
During the 1890s, Thomas Edison launched a New Jersey mining operation to address an iron ore shortage. He designed rock-crushing technology and an electromagnetic ore separator to extract low-grade ore from crushed boulders. The final product -- a briquette made of powdered iron ore -- didn't do well commercially, especially after high-grade ore was discovered around Lake Superior. In 1899, Edison left the industry.
Place of Creation
Keywords
Object ID
29.1116.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
On Exhibit
Not on exhibit to the public.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Iron Ore Briquette from Edison Mines, New Jersey, 1899-1900
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
"Thomas A. Edison Portland Cement Manufacturer," circa 1920
Artifact
Brochure
Date Made
circa 1920
Summary
In 1899, after a failed attempt at ore mining, Thomas Edison formed the Edison Portland Cement Company. At his plant, Edison combined his mining operation's rock-crushing technology with new machinery he developed, like a more efficient cement kiln. These innovations drove overproduction in the cement industry, leading Edison to propose a radical use for the excess product -- concrete houses for working class families.
Creators
Object ID
2017.0.9.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
"Thomas A. Edison Portland Cement Manufacturer," circa 1920
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
"Edison Cast Concrete House," 1908-1915
Artifact
Brochure
Date Made
1908-1915
Summary
In 1899, after a failed attempt at ore mining, Thomas Edison formed the Edison Portland Cement Company. At his plant, Edison combined his mining operation's rock-crushing technology with new machinery he developed, like a more efficient cement kiln. These innovations drove overproduction in the cement industry, leading Edison to propose a radical use for the excess product -- concrete houses for working class families.
Place of Creation
Keywords
Object ID
2017.0.11.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Related Objects
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
"Edison Cast Concrete House," 1908-1915
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison and William Meadowcroft Inspecting a Poured Concrete House with Fred Fowler, 1919
Details
Thomas Edison and William Meadowcroft Inspecting a Poured Concrete House with Fred Fowler, 1919
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
In 1899, after a failed attempt at ore mining, Thomas Edison formed the Edison Portland Cement Company. At his plant, Edison combined his mining operation's rock-crushing technology with new machinery he developed, like a more efficient cement kiln. These innovations drove overproduction in the cement industry, leading Edison to propose a radical use for the excess product -- concrete houses for working class families.
Keywords
United States, New Jersey, Union
Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva), 1847-1931
Object ID
84.1.1630.P.188.18600.C
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison and William Meadowcroft Inspecting a Poured Concrete House with Fred Fowler, 1919
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison with a Model of a Concrete House, circa 1911
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
In 1899, after a failed attempt at ore mining, Thomas Edison formed the Edison Portland Cement Company. At his plant, Edison combined his mining operation's rock-crushing technology with new machinery he developed, like a more efficient cement kiln. These innovations drove overproduction in the cement industry, leading Edison to propose a radical use for the excess product -- concrete houses for working class families.
Object ID
84.1.1630.P.B.47519
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison with a Model of a Concrete House, circa 1911
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison Looking at a Concrete House Unit, circa 1911
Artifact
Photographic print
Summary
In 1899, after a failed attempt at ore mining, Thomas Edison formed the Edison Portland Cement Company. At his plant, Edison combined his mining operation's rock-crushing technology with new machinery he developed, like a more efficient cement kiln. These innovations drove overproduction in the cement industry, leading Edison to propose a radical use for the excess product -- concrete houses for working class families.
Object ID
84.1.1630.P.B.47518
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison Looking at a Concrete House Unit, circa 1911
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Thomas Edison with an "Ediphone" Dictation Machine at His Desk in the West Orange Laboratory, 1911
Details
Thomas Edison with an "Ediphone" Dictation Machine at His Desk in the West Orange Laboratory, 1911
Artifact
Photographic print
Object ID
84.1.1630.P.188.9748
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Thomas Edison with an "Ediphone" Dictation Machine at His Desk in the West Orange Laboratory, 1911
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Menlo Park Laboratory
Artifact
Laboratory
Date Made
1929
Summary
When Edison moved to Menlo Park, New Jersey, in spring of 1876 the laboratory building contained his entire operation -- a handful of collaborators, office, library, and machine shop as well as laboratory. As the scale of Edison's investigations grew so did the complex, but this building -- dedicated to experimental activities -- was always understood to be the heart of the enterprise.
Place of Creation
Object ID
29.3048.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Get more details in Digital Collections at:
Menlo Park Laboratory
What is The Henry Ford?
The national attraction for discovering your ingenuity while exploring America’s spirit of innovation. There is always much to see and do at The Henry Ford.
Discussion Questions
- What or who motivated Thomas Edison to innovate?
- What traits of an innovator did Thomas Edison illustrate?
- Which of these traits do you think was most important in helping him overcome obstacles?
- What are some of the problems of today, and what innovator traits could you apply to solve them?
- Do you think you can be an innovator like Thomas Edison? Why or why not?
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