became president and
made Tate vice-president.
. Lippincott's
death 1891 produced vacuum the management the North
American Company that Edison filled.dllus 7-1, Edison chemical lab,
1908. 1891 only 19
franchisees remained out the original and their future
looked bleak.
While the basic research the amusement phonograph was
undertaken the laboratory, the business the North
American Phonograph Company declined. The major
development paths for phonograph technology— increased playing
time and more fidelity— were dependent harder wax the
cylinder. spent many hours in
the chemical lab Building working this problem and
enjoyed every minute it. The mainstay their business was the
continued popularity the coin-in-the-slot machines, which
15
were normally converted Edison phonographs.VII-11
Aylsworth therefore had work closely with Charles Wurth and
his duplicating team because each experimental project depended
on each other; new compounds acted differently the
duplicating process and each compound performed differently in
both recording and reproduction. Here was chemical challenge
that Edison enthusiastically took up. There were only three companies with high sales
and good management, the Columbia, New England, and New York
Phonograph Companies.) This area research remained the vital part of
phonograph technology into the twentieth century. His first policy was dismantle the
franchise system and replace national sales network
