[The following note describes a series of company records and has no images attached to it. To view the images in the records described here, use the "Which Series Notes?" button to enter the Series Notes or use the "Next Text" button to move to the first item in the series.]
The Edison Phonograph Co. was incorporated on October 10, 1887 as a patent holding company and manufacturing concern. Edison owned nearly all of the capital stock and was the company's founding president. On October 28, 1887 the manufacturing rights were returned to Edison and subsequently transferred to the Edison Phonograph Works. On June 28, 1888 the Edison Phonograph Co. was sold to Jesse H. Lippincott, who assigned his rights to the North American Phonograph Co. When the latter company entered receivership in August 1894, Edison reacquired the Edison Phonograph Co. In February 1896 most of its stock was transferred to the National Phonograph Co. The records, which cover the period 1887-1908, consist entirely of account books and other financial records. A finding aid is available at the Edison National Historical Park.
Only two items have been selected: a stock ledger (1887) and a financial ledger (1888-1891). The unselected materials consist of the following: journal (1888-1891); stock certificate book (1888-1908) with inserted letter (1917) relating to the dissolution of the company; cashbook (1889-1891); bank book, PN-89-07-08 (1889, 1891); stock-transaction ledger (1896-1907); unused book of stock-transfer forms. Courtesy of Thomas Edison National Historical Park.