Edison's Invention Factory: Industrializing Genius

Resources

Resources & Recommendations

Podcasts

• Broken Record - Mentioned as a podcast hosted by Justin Richmond.
• Silver Linings with the Old Gays - A bonus episode featuring Jessay, Bill, Robert, and Mick, brought in partnership with iHeart's Ruby Studio and Vive Healthcare.

People Mentioned

• Robert Smith - Co-host of the new show "Business History" and former co-host at Planet Money.
• Thomas Edison - The central figure of the episode, discussed as an inventor and entrepreneur.
• Herbert Hoover - The President of the United States who decided the country needed a moment of mourning when Edison died.
• Randall Stross - A biographer of Thomas Edison, known for his skepticism of Edison's self-mythologizing.
• Fiddler Dick Governor - Leader of a pickpocket gang in London, whose capture illustrated the transformational power of the telegraph.
• William Orton - Head of Western Union, who advanced Edison money and negotiated over the quadruplex.
• Jay Gould - A railroad magnate and financial speculator, who controlled the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company and eventually bought Edison's quadruplex.
• Mary Stillwell - Edison's first wife.
• Charles Batchelor (Batch) - Edison's chief engineer and assistant at Menlo Park.
• Alexander Graham Bell - Inventor of the telephone, whose patent application is discussed, and who later improved on Edison's phonograph idea.
• Rutherford B. Hayes - President of the United States in 1877-78, who enjoyed Edison's phonograph demonstration at the White House.
• Paul Israel - Author of a biography about Edison, and a deep Edison scholar who spent decades editing the Edison Papers at Rutgers.
• Ryan Dilly - Showrunner for "Business History."
• Gabriel Hunter Chang - Producer for "Business History."
• Sarah Bruger - Engineer for "Business History."

Organizations & Institutions

• Pushkin - The podcast network producing "What's Your Problem" and "Business History."
• Planet Money - Podcast where Robert Smith previously worked as a co-host.
• Ookla Speedtest - Experts who rated T-Mobile as the best network.
• JP Morgan Chase Bank NA - Issuer of Chase credit cards.
• iHeart's Ruby Studio - Partner in producing "Silver Linings with the Old Gays."
• Vive Healthcare - Partner in producing "Silver Linings with the Old Gays."
• Golden Stock Telegraph Company of New York City - Company that gave Edison his first contract in the finance industry.
• Newark Telegraph Works - Edison's first company.
• Western Union - The big telegraph company Edison worked for.
• Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company - A rival to Western Union, controlled by Jay Gould.
• Y Combinator - A famous startup incubator in Silicon Valley, whose motto is "make something people want."
• Rutgers - Institution where Paul Israel spent decades editing the Edison Papers.

Websites & Online Resources

• YouTube - Mentioned as a platform where listeners can watch the "Business History" show.
• Scientific American - A publication that featured an article called "The Talking Phonograph," announcing Edison's invention to the public.

Other Resources

• Thomas Edison's Menlo Park Lab Replica in Henry Ford's Museum - A meticulously rebuilt replica of Edison's laboratory, admired by Henry Ford.