These documents consist primarily of technical notes, reports, and interoffice communications exchanged between Edison and Charles Francis (Frank) Hunter, superintendent of the Edison Chemical Works, a division of the Edison Storage Battery Co. Also included are technical reports and recommendations prepared for Hunter, which he forwarded to Edison for approval. The dated items cover the years 1914, 1918, and 1920-1926. There are a number of undated notes exchanged between Edison and Hunter, probably during the period 1921-1926. Other ESBCo engineers and experimenters mentioned in the documents include G. J. Abrams, Joseph P. Burke, Henry C. Egerton, Paul B. Kasakove, Harry C. Leonard, Benjamin F. Morris, Walter H. Patterson, and Francis S. Schimerka, along with company superintendent James F. Monahan and vice president and general manager Frank D. Fagan.
The documents pertain primarily to the manufacture of the iron and nickel mixes used in Edison's storage batteries, including tests of new processes, equipment modifications, and cost reduction issues. There are references to the nickel hydrate filter process, the acquisition of a Dorr Classifier and a Swenson-Walker Continuous Crystallizer, the use of reclaimed iron, and the activities of the Orange-Silver Lake technical committee. Some of the notes in Edison's handwriting have been stamped on the back with the date and the notation "Edison Storage Battery Co. Edison Chemical Works Division."
Approximately 80 percent of the documents have been selected, including all those indicating Edison's personal decision-making and oversight of operations. Not selected are documents containing only test data or routine daily information or items dating from later years when Edison no longer played a direct role in management. Courtesy of Thomas Edison National Historical Park.