I
never remember him using that. These
images were probably publicity photographs; Barnes patented part the dictating
machine and was not Edison’s secretarial personal staff."194
62
. served librarian and historian the
laboratory until his own death October 15, 1937.C. Tate, Meadowcroft, and Randolph had assistants while
working for Edison, and these assistants would have had easy access the
library. The photographs
are ironic: Although Edison first envisioned the phonograph business tool,
and the Edison dictating machine-known the Ediphone later years--was an
Edison mainstay, Edison himself seems rarely have used it, preferring instead
to make written comments correspondence and other documents.
193 Roderic Peters interview, nd, Oral History Project, 42.
191 "Autobiographical Sketch William Meadowcroft" and Edison Pioneers Obituary Edison
Pioneers Records, Box 26. Johnson/K. Roderic
Peters recalled that ".
Other Employees.
191 A.”193
In what appears part the same series, Edison was photographed 1914
with female secretary who using similar device.191
190 Literary Digest, March 1927. Meadowcroft’s assistants probably had desks work tables the
library, alcoves and Henry Altengarten one the few office workers
identified the photographs, but several other unidentified men appear the
background photographs dated 1914, 1915, 1917, and 1920.
192 See figures 69, 76, 79, and 83.190 Although Meadowcroft was near Edison in
age and nearly blind, continued working the library the West Orange
laboratory after Edison died 1931. don’t think liked it. The woman featured the
series certainly did not work the library, though she may have worked
elsewhere the laboratory complex, the third floor Building Although
women worked offices and plants throughout the West Orange complex,
according former employee, "[Edison] never would have any women working
in the library, women, women secretaries.gave his annual interview session..I never remember [Edison] using his Ediphone dictate. Barnes, clean-cut, well-dressed young man, appears 1914 and 1915
photographs with Edison his desk using Edison dictating machine.. Meadowcroft’s funeral was
held October 18, 1937, the sixth anniversary Edison’s death.E. didn’t care much for
it. Erieke interview, Oral History Project, 30.192
E
