Overview

Thomas Edison (1847-1931) has gone down in history as one of the great inventors of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was responsible for developing the first electric light bulb, as well as the early motion picture industry. But arguably his greatest, and certainly his fondest, invention was the phonograph, which was not only groundbreaking, but laid the foundation for the future music recording industry.

Background

When he was just 11 years old, Edison would disappear into his family's cellar, neglecting his schoolwork, for hours on end. His family would discover him experimenting with all sorts of chemicals, creating strange and mysterious concoctions. It was the earliest spark of genius in a man who would come to personify invention.

Thomas Edison and his phonograph. (The Granger Collection. Reproduced by permission.)

In July...