Frequently Asked Questions
We receive all types of questions about Edison and his life. Recently, someone wrote us inquiring about Edison's ghost! The questions that have been submitted have covered a wide range of topics, both personal and private. Here are some of them for your information and enjoyment.
Was Edison deaf?
Yes, to a degree; however, he heard better than many people thought. As a young man, Edison had hearing loss, but not to a great extent. As Edison aged, his hearing (like that of many older people) worsened. By the time Edison had become a public figure, he was very deaf. Edison, however, made the most of his impairment, even creating fictitious stories of how he lost his hearing.
Where was Edison's laboratory?
Although Menlo Park was his most famous lab, Thomas Edison used several laboratories during his lifetime. Some historians call the shed in the back of his house in Port Huron, Michigan, his first lab, and you may have heard about the train car he used as a lab as a young boy. Edison also had a manufacturing facility in a building on Ward Street in Newark, New Jersey, but the space allotted for research was limited. He then built his world-famous laboratory at Menlo Park. After marrying his second wife in 1886, he moved into a new house and established a new factory complex in West Orange, New Jersey, which contains the only original Edison laboratory left standing in New Jersey.
Did Edison invent the light bulb?
No, light bulbs already existed, but the systems were extremely inefficient, expensive, and aesthetically unpleasing. Thomas Edison perfected the incandescent light bulb and was instrumental in developing the electrical distribution system and in electrical marketing.
How tall was Thomas Edison and how much did he weigh?
Thomas Edison in his prime was about 5 feet 9 ½ inches tall (1.77 m) and weighed about 200 pounds (91 kg).
Was Edison rich when he died?
Yes, his personal worth was approximately $12 million, which by the standards of the time was rather wealthy. Edison was known to call his financial situation "comfortable."
How many wives and children did Edison have?
Edison was married twice and had six children in total. Here is the list of the families:
Mary Stillwell Edison 1856–1884 (married 1872)
Children: Marion 1873–1965; Tom Jr 1876–1935; and William 1879–1937
Mina Miller Edison 1865–1947 (Married 1886)
Children: Madeline 1889–1981; Charles 1890–1969; and Theodore 1898–1992
What was Edison's favorite invention?
Edison always remarked that the phonograph was his favorite invention. Calling it "his baby," Edison stated that he believed it would take care of him in his old age.
Does the family still make money from his inventions?
No. Edison made money by selling rights to his patents and by manufacturing his products. In Edison's lifetime, patents lasted 17 years. His companies have long been out of business or have been absorbed into other corporations. His inventions and innovations do still make money for many companies, successors to his enterprises, as well as unrelated firms.
Was Edison a lone inventor?
No, in fact Edison is credited with the creation of collective research. He created his Menlo Park Laboratory as an "Invention Factory" where Edison and his band of workers would work together to create the ideas that Edison or one of his workers had developed.
How many patents did Edison have?
Thomas Edison was granted 1,093 patents during his lifetime.
What were Edison's major inventions and developments?
His most famous inventions were the phonograph, electric pen, practical incandescent light bulb, carbon button transmitter for the telephone, fluoroscope, electrical distribution system for lighting, improved electric train, improved stock ticker, kinescope, and most importantly, the research-and-development laboratory.
Where is Edison buried?
Edison is buried next to his second wife, Mina, on the grounds of his last home, Glenmont, in West Orange, New Jersey. They were moved there in 1963 from their original plots in Rosedale Cemetery in West Orange. The first Mrs Edison, Mary Stillwell, is buried along with two of her children, Thomas Alva Jr and Marion, in Fairmont Cemetery in Newark.