Edison Manufacturing Company


The Edison Manufacturing Company was a company organized in 1889 by the inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Edison that manufactured batteries, machinery and equipment, and also produced kinetoscope films. Its assets and operations were transferred to Thomas A. Edison, Inc. in 1911.

History

Thomas Edison organized the Edison Manufacturing Company in December 1889 as his personal business for the purpose of making and selling the Edison-Lalande primary battery.
It was formally incorporated on 5 May 1900 in New Jersey.
The company made and sold batteries for use in telegraph, phonoplex, and telephone systems, and for phonographs, dental equipment, medical instruments, and other machinery.
It also made kinetoscopes, phonograph cylinder wax, x-ray equipment, medical instruments, and electric fans in its factory in Silver Lake, New Jersey.
From April 1895 to June 1908 William E. Gilmore was vice-president and general manager of the company. He was succeeded by the patent lawyer Frank Dyer.
Edison's films were made by the Kinetograph Department of the Edison Manufacturing Company.
The Edison Studios first produced kinetoscope films in Manhattan, then from 1905 in a studio in the Bronx.
The company had the same senior executives as the more profitable National Phonograph Company, to which Edison paid more attention. Edison was also distracted by other enterprises including storage batteries, iron ore and cement, which competed for finance and led to loss of focus.
In February 1911 the company's assets were assigned to Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
The Edison Manufacturing Company was formally dissolved on 9 November 1926.

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