This letterbook covers the period March 1881-July 1883 and contains handwritten copies of incoming and outgoing cable messages. All of the transcribed cables are in the hand of Samuel Insull or John F. Randolph, acting as Edison's secretary. Most of the cables relate to Edison's electric light and telephone interests in Europe. Included are cables concerning the formation of Edison's French electric light companies, the Edison exhibit at the Paris Electrical Exhibition of 1881, and Edison's competitors in Europe. Among the recipients are Edison, Joshua F. Bailey, Charles Batchelor, the Edison Electric Light Co. Ltd., George E. Gouraud, Edward H. Johnson, Theodore Puskas, and the Société Electrique Edison. Pasted onto the inside front cover is a list of cable rates to foreign countries. The book contains 320 numbered pages. Pages 1-2 are missing; pages 3-5 are blank. All of the documents have been selected.

Courtesy of Thomas Edison National Historical Park.