The Henry Ford Musuem--phonographs?

[gsphonos]

Hello all--looks like we may have a chance for a ½ day visit to The Henry Ford. I want to see phonographs--I would guess that would be in the museum? I would also like to see Edison's Menlo Park Laboratory. That would be in Greenfield Village?

Any tips would be appreciated! We will only be able to be at the museum from opening until early afternoon--as we have to drive to Cincinnati. Should we try to do the museum and Greenfield Village? What should we NOT miss when there? Any advice appreciated!!!!

Mike Sorter

[HisMastersVoice]

When are you planning on going? I'd recommend choosing greenfield village over the museum personally. Edison's lab is of course my favorite. Next weekend is a big classic car show and the normal village operations will be suspended in order to host the event. I'll be showing my 1940 Dodge.

[bigshot]

I was at the Henry Ford Museum back in the early 80s. It was great. Lots of Edison stuff. Check it out.

[gsphonos]

I will be there next Tuesday. Sorry to miss the car show--would love to meet you and see your 1940 Dodge! We are flying into Chicago early Sunday morning, and will go to Union for a couple of hours before leaving to visit relatives until Monday night--when we will arrive in the Detroit area. We have to be in Cincinnati by Tuesday evening, so it will be a quick visit!

Mike

[Dave D]

I think you will find the museum a disappointment if you are hoping to see very many phonographs. The last time I was there, the phonos had been reduced to a sort of representation section. A cylinder machine, tin foil, Berliner and than it moved on to wire recorders, 8 tracks, etc.

The Village, however, has Edison's lab, which is so fun to see. There are some phonos to be seen here and there in the various houses, too. Sarah Jordan's Boarding House used to have Gem. The house is next to the lab and it is where many of Edison's employees lived.

Admission is separate for the Museum and the Village, and while the Museum has a lot of interesting stuff, the Village has more to offer a phono fan.

Just my thoughts...
Dave D

[NEFaurora]

I thought Edison's lab was being disassembled and being moved back to Menlo Park, NJ within the last few years...At least that's what I read on the Edison Orange, NJ website a year or two ago...

No?

Can Anyone comment on this?

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

[estott]

I thought Edison's lab was being disassembled and being moved back to Menlo Park, NJ within the last few years...At least that's what I read on the Edison Orange, NJ website a year or two ago...

No?

Can Anyone comment on this?

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

That would be an interesting way to put it, as the Edison Laboratory in Michigan is a reproduction- an informed one to be sure, and with a lot of authentic materials in it, but Edison had moved out of the Menlo Park laboratory in 1886 and by 1928 the building itself was long gone. I think Ford got a lot of the contents from the West Orange plant, and other things were newly constructed according to old photos and recollections....and 90 years have given them the genuine patina of age

[Lenoirstreetguy]

Eric, Really ? It was my understanding that the lab was still standing in the early 1920's and being used by one of the local farmers as a large chicken house! The library and the " new" machine shop had been cannibalized by the locals for building materials over the years and the buildings in Greenfield Village are essentially reproductions. At least that was the story they gave us in the guide books.

The museum has changed a lot since I was a kid. In those days a lot of the displays were just a huge number of artifacts behind barriers, and consequently there were a lot of phonographs and radios. There wasn't much " interpretation" of the material. There was also a working Regina Hexaphone and a working...and tuned...Mills Violano Virtuoso both of which got a lot of nickels from me!

Jim

[NEFaurora]

"That would be an interesting way to put it, as the Edison Laboratory in Michigan is a reproduction."

That is very interesting. I had never known this. I always thought that it was the "original building" that had been moved.

Does anyone know when the move of the Edison lab from Dearborn will be moved back to Menlo Park, NJ?? or if this is even happening at all now??

)

Confused!

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

[estott]

Eric, Really ? It was my understanding that the lab was still standing in the early 1920's and being used by one of the local farmers as a large chicken house! The library and the " new" machine shop had been cannibalized by the locals for building materials over the years and the buildings in Greenfield Village are essentially reproductions. At least that was the story they gave us in the guide books.

The museum has changed a lot since I was a kid. In those days a lot of the displays were just a huge number of artifacts behind barriers, and consequently there were a lot of phonographs and radios. There wasn't much " interpretation" of the material. There was also a working Regina Hexaphone and a working...and tuned...Mills Violano Virtuoso both of which got a lot of nickels from me!

Jim

Checking the Meno Park history site - I was wrong, the laboratory WAS standing when Ford measured and moved it, though it had been stripped. Other buildings had burned.