Edison company name change

[Mr Grumpy]

Quick Edison question...

Did the name if Edison's company change at some point? And if so what time did it occur.

I ask because I have two dealer tags with a different name on them (see attached)

[De Soto Frank]

I believe the "National Phonograph Company" was the "first" Edison phonograph company, when the machines were leased ?

It was renamed at some point in the early 1890's ?


Someone will chime-in with hard facts.

[rgordon939]

Here’s a list of Edison’s Phonograph Companies.

Rich Gordon

Automatic Phonograph Exhibition Company
This company was incorporated in New York in February 1890. It controlled the distribution of Edison's nickel-in-the-slot phonograph. On December 5, 1894, its trustees filed for the voluntary dissolution of the company.

Douglas Phonograph Company
This company was incorporated in New York on October 25, 1904, as the successor to Douglas and Company, a dealer in Edison phonographs and Victor talking machines. Controlling interest in the company was acquired by the National Phonograph Company on November 1, 1904.

Edison Business Phonograph Company
This company was incorporated in New Jersey on January 17, 1908, as the successor to the Commercial Department of the National Phonograph Company, to promote the marketing of Edison's business phonographs, later known as the Ediphone. In 1911 the company was absorbed into Thomas A. Edison, Inc.

Edison Phonograph Company
This company was incorporated in New Jersey on October 10, 1887, to hold the patents and manufacturing rights for Edison's phonograph. It returned the manufacturing rights to Edison on October 28, 1887. The company was sold to Jesse Lippincott in June 1888 and was controlled by the North American Phonograph Company during the period 1888-1894.

Edison Phonograph Toy Manufacturing Company
This company was incorporated in Maine in 1887 and maintained offices in Boston and New York. It sold phonograph dolls using Edison's phonograph patents. The business was closed in 1895.

Edison Phonograph Works
This company was incorporated in New Jersey on May 3, 1888. It controlled the manufacturing rights for Edison's phonograph. It operated a factory in West Orange, New Jersey, where it manufactured phonographs, cylinders, machines for the Bates Manufacturing Company, and electrical devices for the Edison Manufacturing Company. In 1914 its factory was destroyed by fire but was quickly rebuilt. In 1924 the company became part of Thomas A. Edison, Inc.

Edison Speaking Phonograph Company
This company was organized in Connecticut on April 24, 1878 to control Edison's phonograph patents and to manufacture, sell, and rent phonographs. On October 10, 1888, its rights to market the phonograph in New England and downstate New York were transferred to the North American Phonograph Company.

National Phonograph Company
This company was incorporated in New Jersey on January 27, 1896, to succeed the North American Phonograph Company and to return control of both the marketing and manufacturing of the phonograph to Edison. Within six months of the formation of the company, its profits were assigned to Edison in exchange for his technical improvements in the phonograph. Its foreign department, which also supervised the overseas interests of the Edison Manufacturing Company and the Bates Manufacturing Company, operated distribution offices, recording studios, and factories for manufacturing phonograph records in Great Britain, Germany, France, and Belgium, along with distribution subsidiaries in Australia and Mexico. In February 1911 the company was reorganized as part of the newly formed Thomas A. Edison, Inc.

New England Phonograph Company
This company was one of the local phonograph companies licensed in 1888 by the North American Phonograph Company. In 1905 a struggle for control of the company, which had not conducted any business since the 1890s, developed between a group led by James L. Andem and an Edison-aligned faction led by John E. Helm and Joseph F. McCoy.

New Jersey Patent Company
This company was incorporated in New Jersey on April 25, 1903, to obtain and hold the phonograph-related patents of Edison and other inventors. In 1911 the company's property rights were transferred to Thomas A. Edison, Inc., in exchange for stock in that corporation. The company was officially dissolved on December 11, 1931.

North American Phonograph Company
This company was incorporated in New Jersey on July 14, 1888. It acquired from its co-founder, Jesse Lippincott, the exclusive license of the American Graphophone Company, the controlling interest in the Edison Phonograph Company, and the exclusive rights to the commercial development of the phonograph in the United States and Canada. Edison eventually assumed financial and administrative control of the company, becoming president in June 1892 and, as its principal creditor, driving it into receivership on August 21, 1894.

Ott Manufacturing Company
This company was incorporated in New Jersey on February 27, 1896, and was used briefly by Edison as a means to regain control of the phonograph business. After years of inactivity, the company was dissolved in Toy Phonograph Company
On January 7, 1878 Edison signed an agreement with Oliver D. Russell to license the use of his phonograph for toys. In April 1878 Russell formed a partnership with Charles B. Harris to exploit this license and their partnership became known informally as the Toy Phonograph Company. This partnership was dissolved in October 1878 and in November the license was transferred to Hilbourne Roosevelt.

United States Phonograph Company
This company was organized in New Jersey, probably in 1894. It succeeded the New Jersey Phonograph Company and maintained offices in Newark. The company manufactured musical recordings and sold phonographs, kinetoscopes, and other products

[Mr Grumpy]

Thanks for the replies.

Holy cow Rich, please tell me you didn't know all of that off the top of your head!?!



I guess what I was really asking was why are there two different Edison company names on these dealer tags?
One is from a Model D Home and the other from an Opera. I guess it has nothing to do with a name change in
companies?

[De Soto Frank]

Wow.

[phonogfp]

Thanks for the replies.

Holy cow Rich, please tell me you didn't know all of that off the top of your head!?!



I guess what I was really asking was why are there two different Edison company names on these dealer tags?
One is from a Model D Home and the other from an Opera. I guess it has nothing to do with a name change in
companies?

The Opera was introduced in late 1911, after the National Phonograph Company had been succeeded by Thomas A. Edison, Inc., so I'm assuming the tag marked "Edison Phonograph Works" belongs on the Opera. The Model D Home was probably manufactured during the National Phonograph Company years.

George P.

[Mr Grumpy]

Brilliant George thank you, that's exactly which labels went with which machines and the
information I was seeking. I'll make sure not to switch them around now as I considered putting the
non-torn one on my Opera until I noticed this difference.

I have to be honest, I've read and re-read Rich's post at least ten times, closed the thread and then asked
myself a pop-quiz question to see how much of it I remember and I'm failing miserably.
I'm not sure how you guys remember all this stuff, I'm sure it's because you're passionate
about it and that probably helps. I've been able to remember and recount an incredible amount of
information pertaining to the parts of this hobby that I'm passionate about.
I've never been really good with history though...

[Canuk Phonographs]

I have been reading the early Edison history and have been getting confused with all the company names and was thinking to sit down and try and draw up a list of names with explanations. This is incredible Rich. Thank you very much. For anybody reading the early years, this is a fact sheet to use as a book marker.
Blain

[phonogfp]

For a list of all the Edison companies (not just the Phonograph companies), you can consult the same list Rich did:

http://edison.rutgers.edu/list.htm

The Rutgers site is a real gold mine of information on Edison. I only wish we had similar site on some of the other companies!

George P.

[rgordon939]

Your correct George, that is the site where the phonograph list came from. At my age my memory is not that sharp. Rutgers University is a tremendous source of Edison information. They have an entire department dealing with Edison’s papers. Many of them can be viewed online. I would recommend everyone to take a look at the site.

Rich Gordon