Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. His winter estate in Ft. Myers is located next door to Henry Ford’s. Both homes are open to the public now.
They are situated on the Caloosahatchee River.
There were a number of inventors working on the phonograph, and some called it a gramophone. The Grammy award looks like the device above.
A Grammy was awarded to a collection of music recorded in the Great Auditorium using wax cylinders. Here is a link:
The Edison winter estate contains a lovely and understated home, done all in white. It is furnished with many electric lights and his inventions such as the phonograph. His lifestyle was not fancy. He and his wife Mina loved to garden. Edison spent a great deal of time working in his lab. He was friends with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone.
Tom and Henry were neighbors and friends, living next door to each other, and the three men were working together to find a plant or tree for making rubber. Edison received over 1,000 patents, and he was a workaholic, but despite all that, he managed to illuminate the world.
Edison liked to fish, and he and his son would fish for marlin off their pier at the Caloosahatchee River. Sometimes Tom would head out in his small boat, powered by his electric motor. When his son was 12, the boy caught a 100 pound marlin off the pier. It is now preserved and mounted on their porch.
As for the maid, she must have been busy. The property is large (21 acres), so they probably had gardeners. It’s a great spot for an outdoor party, on the water, a la the Great Gatsby, but the Edisons were not into that sort of lifestyle. They did have a chauffeur and a cook. The chauffeur lived at the property while Tom and Mina went back to New Jersey.
There is a Victorian house in OG which we wrote about. It has a maid’s room with two doors. One of them leads to the bedroom of her boss.
Here is a link to another Edison photo on Blogfinger:
Feb 8, 2020. Edison Estate. Paul Goldfinger photo. Banyan tree in the background. Click to enlarge.
Eileen (L) and sister Hope join Mrs. Tom Edison in her garden. She’s a bit stiff, but friendly nevertheless. PG Blogfinger photo.
Eileen purchased a tropical plant, a Cordyline–this variety is called “Red Sister”. She met the grower from Vero Beach. Blogfinger photo.
The Edison Garden Festival is one of the largest plant sales in Florida. It occurs each February at the Edison Winter Estate in Fort Myers. There is a big crowd, but plenty of parking. There are tours, live music, and the presence of expert horticulturists from around the state.
The true conversation of today was when a little boy and his Dad approached a massive banyan tree. The boy said to his dad, “That’s the biggest vegetable I ever seen…”
EYDIE GORME´. Eydie Vamps the Roaring Twenties. What name will they give the latest (2020) edition of the “twenties.”
Thomas Edison had over 1000 patents, so he undoubtedly had lots of dough. His estate on the Caloosahatchee River is lovely, but quite unassuming. This is his kitchen. He and his wife had a maid and probably a cook.
As you can imagine, the home was well lit with lots of light bulbs and lighting fixtures. We have photographed other rooms as well as the property.
Just type Edison Estate or Thomas Edison into the search box at the top of this home page.
ANDY FARBER AND HIS ORCHESTRA: “Midnight, the Stars, and You.” (Hey Tommy—-please turn on the lights! I can’t find the phonograph!)
Tom gets away each winter to his estate on the Caloosahatchie River in Ft. Myers, Fla, but he can’t sit still. He has a full lab on the premises. This is at his (and the Mrs.) gardens, near a raucous banyan tree. Paul Goldfinger photograph.
ANITA O’DAY “Stella by Starlight.” (recorded in Tokyo).. Thomas Edison lit up the starlit sky.
