Edison Thomas

Thomas A. Edison Signed CDV

A handsome J.M. White & Co. (Port Huron, Michigan) carte de visite signed by American inventor Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931) as "Thomas A Edison" along the bottom. The signature is bold and dark, the looped "T" of Thomas with a dramatically elongated tail. Some smudging.

Edison's black and white glossy photographic portrait at center is crisp and near fine. The cream colored stock card is gilt embossed "White & Co. / JMWCo. / Port Huron, Mich." along the bottom. An artist's drawing of J.M. White & Co. Artists' studio and gallery on 1102 Military Street, Port Huron, Michigan is depicted verso, copyrighted 1894 below. A few surface abrasions near the edges of the card, and isolated loss verso. The card measures 4.125" x 6.5".

Thomas Edison had a personal connection with Port Huron, Michigan, where "J.M. White & Co. Photographers" advertised their services in an April 3, 1896 bulletin of The Yale Expositor (Yale, Michigan) as "Dealers in all kind of Frames and Easels, Cords, Nails, Hooks, Etc." Edison had spent part of his youth in Port Huron, where he sold candy, vegetables, and newspapers along train lines, and also first learned how to be a telegraph operator.

Thomas Edison was America's most prolific--and arguably its most important--inventor. His 1,093 patents span the fields of electricity, printing, telecommunications, and motion picture and sound recordings, as well as a myriad of other technologies. Edison's legacy consists of his two laboratories in Menlo Park and West Orange, New Jersey and in 300+ international companies that capitalized on his inventions.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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