Project
Thomas Edison Papers
Division of Research Programs
Photo caption
Thomas Edison with phonograph, 1870s.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Photo caption
Thomas Edison with phonograph, 1870s.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Thomas Alva Edison was the most prolific inventor in American history. He amassed a record 1,093 patents covering key innovations and minor improvements in wide range of fields, including telecommunications, electric power, sound recording, motion pictures, primary and storage batteries, and mining and cement technology. Browse Edison’s laboratory notebooks, drawings, diaries, ambitious “to do” lists, and even notes for a science fiction novel at the NEH-funded Thomas Edison Papers project.