[The following note describes a series of notebooks and has no document records attached to it. For that reason, a "no Documents found" message will appear if the "List Documents" button at the bottom of the note is used. To see the records in the notebooks described here, use the "Which Series Notes?" button to enter the Series Notes or use the "Next Text" button to move to the first item in the series.]
These eighty-one notebooks, which cover the years 1911-1924, focus on chemical research and production. Some books were used at the West Orange laboratory, where Ludwig F. (Louis) Ott was chief chemist. Other books pertain to experimental work done at the Edison Chemical Works in Silver Lake, New Jersey, under the direction of Charles F. (Frank) Hunter. Also included are numerous books by Hunter dealing with personnel and other administrative maters at the Works. A few of the West Orange books bear Edison notations, and some books contain loose items by Edison. The experimenters include G. S. Andrews, Richard G. Berger, Peter C. Christensen, N. M. Elias, and D. Juan Marley.
The books describe chemical experiments relating to the development and improvement of phonograph records, storage batteries, and motion picture film. There are also notes pertaining to the silvering of mirrors, fireproof fabric, extinguishing fires, hydrogen detection, and spontaneous combustion. The chemicals and compounds involved in the experiments include paraphenylenediamine ("para"), paranitroacetanilide, para-amidophenol, nitrobenzene, aniline, phenol, acetanilid, chloronitrobenzol, naphthaline, sulfonated benzol, feldspar, potash, salt, Castner soda, lacquers, shellacs, and Vaseline.
Thirteen books with evidence of oversight or involvement by Edison have been selected in whole or in part. A few unselected books, including N-15-12-14, N-16-06-10, and N-19-10-09, contain perfunctory notations by Edison.
The notebooks are arranged in nine subgroups:
