According several accounts, the 1920s the library was becoming very
cluttered. Edison will, for little while, his ‘work shop’
which has loved much. Edison Meadowcroft, annotation May 22, 1916 memorandum (in 1916, WOL).After the excitement the fire and the task rebuilding the West Orange plant,
Edison focussed his attention the challenges posed American involvement in
World War the time the war ended, Edison was his early seventies.A. was certainly hot place work the summer; Edison mandated
"for ventilation not more than windows need open any one time--I will
stand for only. You’ll have get up. Flowers
were brought decorate the room, and guards were stationed the coffin
throughout the two days public viewing.
everywhere the room.
435 "Laboratory Fire Department," memorandum MRH, October 143, 1914 (in 1914, WOL—Fire). comforting note Mina Edison
summed the arrangements: "The library can beautifully decorated, guards
will either side and Mr.
437 The New York Times, October 19, 1931, 24."436 Later, the New York Times commented the "Souvenirs of
the past, inventions the early days, lamps, bulbs, pieces machinery.
438 John [Miller?] Mina Edison, September 17, 1931 (in 1931, Edison—Death, Undertaker/Cemetery
Arrangements). garland is
draped over the clock and twined around the first tier balcony railing...
4M T.
Increasingly during his later years, Edison was watched over his family, his
employees, and others around him.’"434 Before the 1914 fire, the
Edison Laboratory Fire Department assigned members locate Edison the
first, second, and third floors Building and warn him case fire.put her arm around his shoulders, and
said ‘The Prince here.. railed platform erected at
128
.
Another member was designated find Edison night: "The man who finds him
warns him and stays him until out the building. When the Crown Prince Sweden visited,
Mina approached Edison his desk "., This photograph shows the closed coffin
before the fireplace, surrounded flowering plants and palm trees."435
434 The New York Times, June 1926.. large
arrangement flowers and palms placed behind the desk the center the
room, and more flowers and palms fill the alcoves."438 Although cameras were prohibited the
masses people lined pay their respects Edison, least one photograph
of the coffin the library was taken."437
When Edison died 1931, his public viewing was held the library
