Several Edison's competitors
in the phonograph business were using records made out hard
rubber, which offered durable recording medium. The search
for domestic source rubber suited Edison's experimental
style; was clearly line research that needed an
. 1888 Jonas
Aylsworth experimented with hard rubber records the West
3
Orange laboratory. The interest rubber continued into the
1900s when was important part the storage battery
project.
Edison involvement with rubber went back well before
the late 1920s. By
1920 the laboratory staff were well acquainted with this
material and the "old man" had knowledge the chemistry and
botany rubber that impressed Harvey Firestone. was totally
financed his two friends which enabled him run the
program outside the checks and controls TAE Inc. Many studies had been carried out
on native plants that might contain rubber but Edison wanted to
go one further and mount systematic search that would cover
thousands plants, ever hopefully that kindly nature might
have provided substitute for the latex the Hevea tree. The containment the chemicals used storage
batteries was major research problem for the laboratory. had begun, fact, when the laboratory
first opened the late 1880s.^
Typically the rubber project began with thorough search
of the literature and several trips obtain information and
examine botanical operations.XIV- 3
Edison agreed donate his time.
Here was perfect research project for Edison
