This 1930s era, black and white educational film reviews the amazing life and inventions of Thomas Alva Edison, who passed away in 1931. From his home in Llewellyn Park to his laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, the inventions of the master are reviewed and exhibited. “A Personal History.” The motion picture camera turns back time to review the life and work of Thomas Alva Edison whose inventions benefit every one of us every day of our lives. The eternal light in Menlo Park. Pictures of a young Thomas Edison flash across the screen 1:00. Edison sitting with the phonograph at 30 years of age 1:03. Picture of Edison at 43 years of age 1:08. A photo of Edison, after working 72 hours straight 1:12. His industrial research laboratory, now the Thomas Alva Edison Museum, still stands in West Orange, New Jersey. The chemical building inside the museum 1:37. The littered desk of the greatest genius of his time 1:50. Edison punches a timecard as he arrives to work. His actual timecard is shown 2:09. Edison sits at his desk while people mill about 2:21. Edison, because of his hearing problems, must strain to hear his colleagues 2:28. Edison works with beakers and flasks 2:40. Edison punches out from work 2:47. Edison’s home at Llewellyn Park 2:54. Edison and his wife in the garden 3:04. Edison’s first experimental phonograph can still be operated 75 years after its invention 3:23. The first coin operated phonograph 3:30. An Edison recording of the “Gay 90s” is played on Edison records 4:15. The phonograph is seen playing the song 4:37. Old Menlo Park 4:42. The first practical incandescent light bulb 4:55. The bulb originally used filaments made of Japanese bamboo 5:01. The Kinetoscope was an early motion picture exhibition device. The Kinetoscope was designed for films to be viewed by one individual at a time through a peephole viewer window at the top of the device 5:08. In 1893, the world’s first film production studio, the Black Maria, or the Cinematographic Theater, was completed on the grounds of Edison’s laboratories at West Orange, New Jersey for the purpose of making film strips for the Kinetoscope. A model of the Black Maria is shown 5:22. The Black Maria revolves on the circular track to follow the sun 5:27. The roof on the model of the Black Maria is opened 5:40. A movie made in 1893 is shown. A man plays the violin while two other men dance together 5:54. The Great Train Robbery, the first cinematic success 6:00. Scenes from the movie are shown 6:10. The naturalist, John Burroughs and Harvey Firestone sit and chat 6:15. Edison swings in a hammock 6:18. Henry Ford tries to “out chop” John Burroughs in cutting down a tree while Edison referees 6:30. Burroughs wins. Edison talks baseball with Ty Cobb and Connie Mack in 1927 6:53. Edison bats a baseball 7:00. Different views of Edison are shown on film 7:15. The legacy of Thomas Alva Edison. A Pathé Educational Film.

We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com