Period II: 1901-1914. 1900, the first shop orders were
executed design and build machines make parts for the new Home
phonograph. Instead supplying magnetic ore separators industry and
carrying out contract research for thé electrical utility industry, Thomas Edison
had identified consumer market for the phonograph and potential industrial
customers for the battery. The new line "Home" and "Standard" machines were
put into production the turn the century. (It was also critical factor the revival Edison’s
reputation the great inventor.
Now Edison finally had opportunity realize his dream great factory
complex the Orange Valley and test his concept the laboratory perfecting the
system mass production. This period marked the commercial success Edison’s
improved phonograph and its pre-recorded cylinders and the introduction his
new alkaline storage battery. In
1896 Edison and his team researchers finally developed spring motor
phonograph which was cheap, durable and easier use than the models had
sold the early 1890s. These two product lines dominated the work the
laboratory from the turn the century until World War facility that had
been built with electric light and power technology mind was now fully
concerned with the different demands producing and selling talking machines
and batteries. The phonograph was complex machine that posed
many problems large scale manufacture. The boom talking
machines that began just after the turn the century was created and sustained
by cheap and plentiful cylinder records rather than the availability cheap
and dependable machine.) was great importance the talking
30
65 Shop Order 984 (1900), Notebook N-87-11-24. The talking machine was now become a
means bring fine music into the homes Americans, either pre-recorded
cylinders made the West Orange site cylinders recorded the users. was Edison’s goal put one of
his phonographs every home the United States.
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Yet mass produced talking machines could not revive the phonograph business
alone; the customers still needed supply records.
The development technology duplicate prerecorded cylinders Building 2
and Building the West Orange laboratory was therefore central importance
to the Edison enterprise. When this marketing strategy failed, (partly
as the result the difficulty operating the machine), turned to
entertainment uses the phonograph.
Edison originally thought that the improved phonograph would used by
businessmen dictating machine
