Donations ranged from Charles Batchelor’s $250 cents from Edison workers
of more modest means.
406 'The Evening Sun, February 11, 1889..-Accounts, D-89-06).A. The employees actually
purchased two leather armchairs, reclining leather chair, eighteen oak and cane
side chairs, twelve oak and cane revolving arm chairs, and another revolving arm
chair for Edison’s desk.the most beautiful all the beautiful things the library, and the object which
probably first caught the great inventor’s eye, was perfect gold and silver working
phonograph, the finest and most exquisitely finished talking machine ever made..406
This phonograph still the collection the Edison laboratory and with some
exceptions the other gift furnishings remain the library.
This description agrees with the accounting records Tate and his committee kept,
with the exception the description the chairs.404
Contemporary accounts describe length silver phonograph Edison’s workers
made for him, and accounts show that the committee spent $75 "mahogany
case roll glass top," presumably house the phonograph. all, present and former employees contributed the
purchase the library furnishings.405 The Evening Sun
enthused:
.
407 See figure 81,
Records indicate the amount each worker paid into the gift subscription fund. They also purchased fire tools and stand, although the
library fireplace contained gas log and was not working fireplace.
403 Invoices, 1889 (in 1889, Edison, T.75.403
402 The Evening Sun, February 11, 1889.bare with its scanty coverings three old rugs, were thirteen thick, soft Smyrna
402
rugs. The total amount raised was $782.
404 One the invoices missing from the records, exact total not available.
It stood front window opposite the wide doorway and rested finely
polished mahogany table, arranged with many drawers hold several hundred
phonograms.75, and the
total cost the furnishings was over $677.
405 Invoices, 1889 (in 1889, Edison, T.407
121
.-Accounts, D-89-06).A. The
oriental rugs were used least until 1918, but not known when the reclining
chair and andirons were removed. The leather reclining
chair, the iron andirons and the oriental rugs are longer the site
