{"id":4626,"date":"2012-02-06T15:33:42","date_gmt":"2012-02-06T23:33:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/?p=4626"},"modified":"2015-09-26T11:10:58","modified_gmt":"2015-09-26T18:10:58","slug":"a-visit-to-the-thomas-edison-national-historical-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/2012\/02\/a-visit-to-the-thomas-edison-national-historical-park\/","title":{"rendered":"A visit to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mightyohm\/6664363997\/in\/set-72157628787070609\/lightbox\/<\/p>\n

Last month, on my way back home from 28C3<\/a>, I had the opportunity to visit a truly amazing (and maybe underappreciated) historic site: the Thomas Edison National Historical Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The park, which is located in West Orange, New Jersey, includes Thomas Edison’s<\/a> laboratory complex and his Glenmont<\/em> mansion. I didn’t get to see the mansion, which frankly was less interesting to me (although I hear it features such novelties as a remotely-switched electrically-heated birdbath). Instead, I decided to focus my tour on the laboratories:
\n\"IMG_1526.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The remaining laboratory buildings are actually only a small part of what used to be a huge industrial factory and research center that spanned several blocks. Only a few of the original structures remain, the rest having been sold off and destroyed to make way for new development.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1274.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Here are just a few of the businesses that used to be located beyond the complex gates. One has to wonder what the “La Compania Edison Hispano-Americana” did:
\n\"IMG_1278.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Before I forget: This is not where Edison invented the light bulb. Or the phonograph. This is where Edison refined his original phonograph into a commercially viable product, developed the kinetoscope and several other motion picture devices, and developed Nickel-iron-alkaline storage batteries that powered early electric vehicles, among may other things. Many of Edison’s early inventions were developed in his Menlo Park laboratory<\/a> in what is now called Edison, NJ.<\/p>\n

With that out of the way, back to the tour…<\/em><\/p>\n

My tour began in the Chemistry Lab.
\n\"IMG_1279.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The lab is (not surprisingly) wired with DC, and there are many DC outlets sprinkled around the lab:
\nhttp:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mightyohm\/6664473885\/in\/set-72157628787070609\/lightbox\/<\/p>\n

There are chemicals everywhere. Storage cabinets on the walls are filled with hundreds of glass bottles, organized by base element (Antimony, Lead, Magnesium, Calcium).
\n\"IMG_1349.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The lab has been beautifully restored:
\nhttp:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mightyohm\/6664477481\/in\/set-72157628787070609\/lightbox\/<\/p>\n

I last visited here over 20 years ago with my grandfather, and while my memories are fuzzy, I do not remember the facilities being in this condition. This is likely because the complex has seen significant restoration work in recent years. Just outside the chemistry lab, there is a small square on one wall that is still in unrestored condition:
\n\"IMG_1348.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After completing the chemistry lab tour (which I believe is the only guided tour at the facility), I moved on to the building that houses Edison’s library, a room bathed in incandescent light:
\n\"IMG_1395.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Very prominently featured in the library is this angel, who is holding aloft a lightbulb. I sense more than a little bit of ego here…
\n\"IMG_1394.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In one corner, a cubic foot of copper, a gift from a group of mining and smelting companies, who were no doubt overjoyed by the success of Edison’s electric lighting system and other inventions.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1399.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Here is Edison’s desk, though apparently he did not spend much time here, preferring to work upstairs in a more modest room:
\n\"IMG_1393.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Moving on, I next visited the storeroom, home to not only tools but also samples of hundreds if not thousands of natural materials. It is reported that this storeroom contains everything from a tortoise shell and elephant hide to “the eyeballs of a US senator”:
\n\"IMG_1367.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The storeroom is the gateway to the most spectacular room in the complex, the heavy machine shop:
\n\"IMG_1433.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Power for the machines originates at two enormous motors located in the back of the shop:
\nhttp:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mightyohm\/6664542343\/in\/set-72157628787070609<\/p>\n

It is then transmitted through a terrifying network of pulleys and exposed belts to each of the machines. This was not a safe place to work:
\n\"IMG_1411.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Upstairs is the precision machine shop, where the machines are smaller and more unusual:
\n\"IMG_1446.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Just off the precision machine shop is the room where Edison preferred to work, surrounded by chemicals and his experiments, conveniently close to the machine shop foreman’s office:
\n\"IMG_1466.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Another room upstairs housed a recording studio for what was likely the world’s first record company. It is amusing to think that records were being recorded right next to an active machine shop, but apparently the sensitivity of early recording devices was so low that they did not pick up background noise.
\n\"IMG_1471.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

You can imagine a performer belting into one of these primitive devices, surrounded by many different types of recording cones, suitable for various instruments:
\nhttp:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mightyohm\/6664570861\/in\/set-72157628787070609\/<\/p>\n

The upstairs halls are lined with artifacts from the Edison company. The first phonograph:
\n\"IMG_1482.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A pair of Thomas Edison electric irons:
\n\"IMG_1492.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Early Christmas lights:
\n\"IMG_1494.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Back outside, here is the Black Maria<\/a>, Edison’s famous motion picture recording studio. The first studio of its kind, the roof opens and the entire building can be rotated to capture the maximum amount of outside light, which was required by early movie cameras:
\n\"IMG_1498.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Apparently during WWII the Edison Company saw itself as a target, and constructed this bunker to protect and preserve documents and artifacts in their collection:
\n\"IMG_1507.jpg\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This concluded my tour. There are many more photos of the laboratory complex in this flickr set.<\/a> And if you are ever in the area, I highly recommend paying a visit<\/a> to this historic site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mightyohm\/6664363997\/in\/set-72157628787070609\/lightbox\/ Last month, on my way back home from 28C3, I had the opportunity to visit a truly amazing (and maybe underappreciated) historic site: the Thomas Edison National Historical Park. The park, which is located in West Orange, New Jersey, includes Thomas Edison’s laboratory complex and his Glenmont mansion. I didn’t get to see the … Continue reading A visit to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[427,430,421],"class_list":["post-4626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-electronics","tag-edison","tag-new-jersey","tag-travel"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pioCd-1cC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4877,"url":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/2012\/02\/surplus-summit-2012-part-one-los-angeles\/","url_meta":{"origin":4626,"position":0},"title":"Surplus Summit 2012 Part One: Los Angeles","author":"Jeff","date":"February 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mightyohm\/6882203127\/in\/photostream (Photo: Tony KC6QHP testing out his 47GHz amateur radio. Remember this post? All that work paid off, the radio works!) Last month I cashed in some airline miles and finally got to visit some old friends and spend some time in beautiful Southern California. Some long-time readers of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Amateur Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Amateur Radio","link":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/category\/amateur-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4896,"url":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/2012\/02\/surplus-summit-2012-part-two-san-diego\/","url_meta":{"origin":4626,"position":1},"title":"Surplus Summit 2012 Part Two: San Diego","author":"Jeff","date":"February 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Continued from Surplus Summit Part One: Los Angeles. After visiting Los Angeles for the weekend, I spent the next couple days in San Diego. I had a chance to visit some old San Diego landmarks as well as one newcomer to the surplus electronics scene. Surplus Depot, San Diego, CA\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Electronics"","block_context":{"text":"Electronics","link":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/category\/electronics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5067,"url":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/how-to-use-geiger-bot-with-the-mightyohm-geiger-counter\/","url_meta":{"origin":4626,"position":2},"title":"How to use Geiger Bot with the MightyOhm Geiger Counter","author":"Jeff","date":"March 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Geiger Bot is an iOS application that allows you use your iPhone or iPad as a sophisticated display for an ordinary Geiger counter. It works with most Geiger counters that make an audible \"click\" for each event or count that is detected. Here's how to get your MightyOhm Geiger Counter\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Kits"","block_context":{"text":"Kits","link":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/category\/kits\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7200\/6965345197_0217927f99.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5028,"url":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/2012\/02\/an-analog-life-my-pilgrimage-to-the-workbench-of-analog-guru-jim-williams\/","url_meta":{"origin":4626,"position":3},"title":"An Analog Life: My pilgrimage to the workbench of analog guru Jim Williams","author":"Jeff","date":"February 24, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mightyohm\/6780036200\/in\/set-72157629444825281 Last week, while visiting the San Francisco Bay Area, I had a chance to visit the Computer History Museum. Surprisingly, I didn't go there to see their impressive collection of vintage computers, although I highly recommend checking out the PDP-1, Babbage Engine, and Revolution, a tour of the first\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Electronics"","block_context":{"text":"Electronics","link":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/category\/electronics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5131,"url":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/2012\/04\/valve\/","url_meta":{"origin":4626,"position":4},"title":"Working at Valve","author":"Jeff","date":"April 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Yes, the things you have heard are true. After four glorious years of freelancing and working on fun open source hardware projects, I am going full-time again. In June, I will be joining the hardware team at Valve. Yes, Jeri works there. No, she is not my boss (or anyone\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Announcements"","block_context":{"text":"Announcements","link":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/category\/announcements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/Valve_logo-500x178.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5284,"url":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/2012\/08\/mightyohm-store-back-online-shipping-kits-this-week\/","url_meta":{"origin":4626,"position":5},"title":"MightyOhm store back online, shipping kits now.","author":"Jeff","date":"August 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mightyohm\/5258942710\/in\/set-72157625531514094\/ It took a while longer than I expected, but Geiger Counter and HV Rescue Shield kits are back in stock and shipping now.","rel":"","context":"In "Announcements"","block_context":{"text":"Announcements","link":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/category\/announcements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4626"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7745,"href":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4626\/revisions\/7745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mightyohm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}