Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) - photo 1
Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) - photo 2
Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) - photo 3
Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) - photo 4
Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) - photo 5
Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) - photo 6

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)

Lot 321
15.12.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 100
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1109122
Lot 321 | Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)
Estimate value
£ 30 000 – 50 000
Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)
Autograph manuscript, a laboratory notebook, [probably Menlo Park, New Jersey], [c.1899-c.1910]
28 written pages, 220 x 140mm, in pencil in a ruled school notebook, inked over by another hand in places, illustrated by Edison with 14 diagrams, some later additions in pencil in a juvenile hand, annotated on p.1 ‘Thomas A Edison Notebook’. Provenance: Robert B. Honeyman (1897–1987, American metallurgical engineer and book collector); his sale, part III, Sotheby’s, 2 May 1979, lot 1159.

One of Thomas Edison’s laboratory notebooks, recording experiments relating to the development of the alkaline storage battery – intended for use in electric vehicles – and illustrated with 14 diagrams. Formerly in the Honeyman Collection. Recording experiments made with electrical batteries and describing the practical difficulties encountered with the construction and operating performance of each cell: ‘This is the cleanest solution of all the cells – the sediment is scarcely anything. There is no flocculent float, or muddy tinge’; ‘Important. The two little holes leading out of valve chamber are plugged entirely with crystalized salt’; ‘By straining the poles sidewise the Fe pole could be bent at angle but considerable power necessary’; ‘The Ni & Fe plates are beautifully bright’; ‘Important When the cell was assembled & separators put in the friction was so great that when they were put in a cell […] the nickel plates were the lowest, but it was a one sided cant as they are lower on one side’; ‘The bottom herringbone rubber is OK indented only a few thousands in places where grid pounded – they will last indefinitely – Altogether the cell is in perfect condition mechanically and chemically exception corrosion of post in Ni side where soft rubber gasket was, after washing post looks eaten away slightly say .003 – will examine later – The herringbone rubber bottom, the side rubber slotted guards & the sheet rubber are coated all over with an iron yellow deposit. it rubs off…’

At the turn of the 20th century Thomas Edison’s newest challenge was to develop a better storage battery for use in electric vehicles. Edison very much enjoyed automobiles and owned a number of different types during his life, powered by gasoline, electricity, and steam. He thought that electric propulsion was clearly the best method of powering cars, but realised that conventional lead-acid storage batteries were inadequate for the job. Edison began to work on an alkaline battery in 1899. He had some success – his Nickel-Iron battery was developed in 1901 – but this would prove to be Edison's most difficult project: it took ten years to develop a practical alkaline battery. By the time he introduced his new battery, the gasoline powered car had so improved that electric vehicles were becoming increasingly less common, being used mainly as delivery vehicles in cities. However, the Edison alkaline battery proved useful for lighting railway cars and signals, maritime buoys, and miners lamps. Unlike iron ore mining, the heavy investment Edison made over ten years was repaid handsomely, and the storage battery eventually became Edison's most profitable product. Further, Edison's work paved the way for the modern alkaline battery (see NHP-New Jersey online biography).
Artist:Thomas Edison (1847 - 1931)
Place of origin:USA
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
10.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
11.12.2023 09:00 – 20:00
12.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
13.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

More from Creator

A self winding stock ticker
A self winding stock ticker
$100
A brass telegraphic stock ticker
A brass telegraphic stock ticker
$100

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.
?>