Thomas Edison is being greeted in his home in West Orange, New Jersey by the Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, after Edison was newly appointed as
President of the Naval Reserve
Board. Eddie Jackson, a personal friend of this amazing inventor and business leader was the only photographer invited to Edison’s home to document this informal greeting.
Known as “The Wizard of
Menlo Park” Thomas Edison
was know to quip about his
genius to research and invent:
"To invent something –
anything, all you need is a
good imagination—and a big
pile of junk.”
The family photo at left taken by Eddie Jackson in 1923 shows (left to right) Charles Edison and wife Carolyn with William Edison in the background. Charles Edison later was elected the 42nd Governor of New Jersey. Thomas Edison (center) is accompanied by his second wife Mina. Photo to the right is Edison working in his Menlo Park, NJ laboratory on submarine battery acid compounds.
Thomas Edison held a world record for 1,093 patents for his inventions. The great man’s first invention was the tin foil phonograph in 1877 while working on the telegraph and the telephone. In 1879 Edison invented a working light bulb and practical, useable electricity. In 1889 Edison General Electric Company was formed. Edison also invented the motion picture camera in 1888.
