The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

In case this negative and desaturation helps... This is from the bedplate.

I'm going to see what natural variation i can find in his evolving john Hancock over the years...

Plus I lifted this from a super informative members website...


http://edisontinfoil.com/forgeries.htm

The one from my bedplate is the bottom right hand one... Pasted over a much later one.

Thanks edisontinfoil guy!

NEFaurora wrote:Interesting about the Original Trademark Paperwork above. Look how Edison's real signature in the upper lower right of the page of the 4 people that signed differs from the actual trademark signature. The "A" and the "E" are very different. Very interesting!

That is definately Edison's real signature in the upper lower right of the page. No doubt.

)

Tony K.

Actually, after reading the "fraud" article, i suspect that top bottom right signature on the "signature patent document" is NOT his.

First, I looked up many original copyright documents. None appear to have his actual signature at the bottom.... Maybe filled out by clerks?

Second, edison presumably used very neat writing... As though on an imaginary line. That was not.

I guess the signature of document was maybe an assistant, a secretary or maybe a lawyer of his. Seeing the evolution of his signature. You can obviously see that the signature on the document is not his. I wonder if all of his Patent documents are like that one.

It's also nice to know that we really do have a copy of Edison's actual signature on all of our Edison machines!

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

The patent is signed by his lawyers in his name. If you look closely you'll see it says "Thomas A. Edison, by Dyer, Edward & Dyer, Attys."

Many of Edison's letters and legal documents were so-called "secretarily signed". Some will include a small notation to indicate the actual signer (such as Wm. Carman for many of his early letters) but some are not marked. I see quite a few such secretarily signed letters on eBay being sold as authentic Edison signatures. The sellers don't do their homework.

Several years ago there was an auction (real one, not eBay) with a secretarily signed document that was represented as genuine. The auction house should have known better, but the kicker is that many of us contacted the auctioneer to set the facts straight. Even Paul Israel, of the Edison Papers Project (and who has seem more of Edison's writing than anyone in the world, other than Edison himself) wrote to them. The auctioneer ignored everyone and went ahead with the sale. It sold for huge money and I have often wondered if the buyer ever found out the truth.

So.... can anyone with one of these post clear pics of the wiring... I get some EM movement of the armature wheel inside of the magnets when I connect the battery, but it stops. "helping " it by pushing the top portion counterclockwise is not helpful. I think I have it pretty well lubed and free to spin...

PM sent

You will require a power supply that can provide about 2.5-3.5 volts, and up to 2 amps of current. I think in one of your photos I spied a digital "switching" power supply. Those, although rated for 2Amps, do not supply proper current.

I still make a power supply for the Class M that many people have been quite happy with. It has a plastic case with aluminum heat sink top, rectifier, transformer, and cloth covered wire leads for phonograph, and modern vinyl power cord which you plug into the wall.

The only other major issue with the armature are the tabs on the commutator where the field coil wires are soldered. Over time, multiple soldering joints break, or become weak. The only way to ensure proper conductivity is to test and re-flow each one. I usually use a small needle to hold down each wire in proper position, and a 15watt soldering iron to re-flow the original solder to make a good connection. You wil, while doing this, melt some of the beeswax on top of the armature, but this is OK....as it will re-solidify.

Well, I hope this makes some people feel less solder impaired...

looks great! I've not seen one in a long time that didn't have the protective beeswax sealing all the wiring,,,