Book Edition

Our twelve-volume selective book edition, The Papers of Thomas A. Edison, serves as an intellectual compass for our pioneering image edition of original documents. Volumes 1–8 (1847–1887) were published as traditional printed books. In October 2021, they were published along with Volume 9 (1888–1889) as open-access books on Project Muse, the digital platform of our publisher, Johns Hopkins University Press. Volume 10 (1890–June 1892) was added in in 2025. All ten open-access volumes can be read online or downloaded as PDFs. Individual volumes can also be purchased as print-on-demand books. The remaining two volumes (11–12) will be published in the same way. The editors are currently working on Mechanical Entertainment: Sound Recording and Motion Pictures, 1892–1929 (Volume 11). This is the first of two thematic volumes covering the last four decades of Edison’s life and career. The final volume, A Public Life: Image and Reputation, 1892–1931 (Volume 12), will focus on Edison’s public image and reputation, including his family relations and the worldwide reaction to his death.