Changes

===Menlo Park===

===Menlo Park===

In 1876 Edison left his Newark lab and established a laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he earned the nickname ''"The Wizard of Menlo Park"''. The following year, in 1877, he invented the first [[phonograph]]. The tin foil phonograph was the first machine that could record and reproduce sound. This invention brought him worldwide recognition and acclaim and he was invited to meet U.S. President [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] in the [[White House]].

In 1876 Edison left his Newark lab and established a laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he earned the nickname ''"The Wizard of Menlo Park"''. The following year, in 1877, he invented the first [[phonograph]]. The tin foil phonograph was the first machine that could record and reproduce sound. This invention brought him worldwide recognition and acclaim and he was invited to meet U.S. President [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] in the [[White House]].

In 1887 Edison moved his vast organization to West Orange, N.J., and thereafter devoted most of his time to its management. Along with a team of engineers he personally helped invent the first motion pictures. He concurrently worked on developing, then improving the phonograph, and recording equipment.  In 1891 Edison patented the kinetoscope and the vitascope; having purchased the patent for a projector invented by Thomas Armat, he made the first commercial showing of motion pictures, at in New York City, on April 23, 1896. In 1913 he demonstrated the synchronization of moving pictures and sound, laying the foundation for the talking motion picture

In 1887 Edison moved his vast organization to West Orange, N.J., and thereafter devoted most of his time to its management. Along with a team of engineers he personally helped invent the first motion pictures. He concurrently worked on developing, then improving the phonograph, and recording equipment.  In 1891 Edison patented the kinetoscope and the vitascope; having purchased the patent for a projector invented by Thomas Armat, he made the first commercial showing of motion pictures, at in New York City, on April 23, 1896. In 1913 he demonstrated the synchronization of moving pictures and sound, laying the foundation for the talking motion picture

[[Image:Phonograph-edison.jpg|thumb|280px|1889 phonograph; battery is on left]]

[[Image:Phonograph-edison.jpg|thumb|280px|1889 phonograph; battery is on left]]

In 1878-81 Edison was at the peak of his intellectual powers. He sought solutions to technological problems through scientific investigations, experimented with multiple ways of technical problem solving, calculated costs and pricing, established methods of production, evaluated the character of potential business partners, negotiated contracts and business partnerships one day and raved back to the lab to scrutinize technical details the next.  

In 1878-81 Edison was at the peak of his intellectual powers. He sought solutions to technological problems through scientific investigations, experimented with multiple ways of technical problem solving, calculated costs and pricing, established methods of production, evaluated the character of potential business partners, negotiated contracts and business partnerships one day and raved back to the lab to scrutinize technical details the next.

 

===Generating electricity===

===Generating electricity===

[[Image:Edison-pearl-street.jpg|thumb|330px|Model of Pearl Street generating plant]]  Edison's development of central-station lighting systems for cities was one of the great achievements in world history because it brought electricity out of the laboratory into actual commercial use. His Pearl Street (New York City) electricity generating station introduced four key elements of a modern electric utility system: reliable central generation, efficient distribution, a successful end use (in 1882, the light bulb), and a competitive price. It was a model of efficiency for its time. At first it served 59 customers for about 24 cents per kilowatt hour. By the late 1880s, power demand for electric motors (especially for elevators and streetcars) brought the industry from mainly nighttime lighting to 24-hour service and dramatically raised electricity demand for transportation and industry needs. By the end of the 1880s, small central stations dotted many U.S. cities; each was limited to a few blocks area because of transmission inefficiencies of direct current (DC).  Edison fought a mighty battle with [[George Westinghouse]], who developed a competing system based on alternating current (AC).

[[Image:Edison-pearl-street.jpg|thumb|330px|Model of Pearl Street generating plant]]  Edison's development of central-station lighting systems for cities was one of the great achievements in world history because it brought electricity out of the laboratory into actual commercial use. His Pearl Street (New York City) electricity generating station introduced four key elements of a modern electric utility system: reliable central generation, efficient distribution, a successful end use (in 1882, the light bulb), and a competitive price. It was a model of efficiency for its time. At first it served 59 customers for about 24 cents per kilowatt hour. By the late 1880s, power demand for electric motors (especially for elevators and streetcars) brought the industry from mainly nighttime lighting to 24-hour service and dramatically raised electricity demand for transportation and industry needs. By the end of the 1880s, small central stations dotted many U.S. cities; each was limited to a few blocks area because of transmission inefficiencies of direct current (DC).  Edison fought a mighty battle with [[George Westinghouse]], who developed a competing system based on alternating current (AC).