Edison's 137 Year old Laboratory Still Exists

Thomas Edison moved out of Menlo Park and into this much larger laboratory in 1886. This West Orange property was state of the art and had everything the great inventor needed. Amazingly much of the property is still here!
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[@michaelsteven1090]

Nothing digital, all mechanical..glorious.

[@cookingartguy2170]

That's amazing I didn't know this. All during my childhood, our dear neighbor Mr Macy used to tell us how he worked for Thomas Edison in New Jersey, and he had some photos. I wish I had one of them! His wife was the secretary for George Eastman, the founder of Eastman Kodak, so they had some amazing stories. We were very close to them. They're long gone.

[@notter59]

44 years at EK and still going.

[@davidestrella2495]

Learn your history

[@cookingartguy2170]

@@davidestrella2495 Take your meds.

[@romansiguenza8738]

Im reading Edmund Morris' biography. Unfortunately he did not treat his factory workers well and did not pay them well. Many disliked him and were always looking for work elsewhere. He was called the most hated man in West Orange for a reason. And he remained close friends with Ford a bigot, antisemite and nazi sympathizer

[@scottl8137]

My old man still has the same lathe as shown here that he still used to this day

[@Wilett614]

He is NOT alone ,my friend So Do I !! I have two Very similar lathes in my shop , along with a few other tools seen in his video : )

[@mdevidograndpacificlumbera1539]

​@@Wilett614 you should make a video of them

[@08impalaSS25]

I love your content, brother keep it coming during some dark times in my life you have lifted me up with your content

[@JJ-JOHNSON]

Thank you for bringing us along with you, otherwise I'd never would have got to see this, being a field engineer myself, these types of things have always interested me, but disabled now and don't get out much, thank you for sharing.

[@MaarkiMarko]

This is better than any documentary I've seen on Edison. Thank you, Chris.

[@MrStacy1974]

The museum is free to the public a few minutes north of Newark NJ. Be aware of your surroundings if you go, the neighborhoods change quickly.

[@joejones9520]

because the trend now is to dismiss and diss edison in favor of tesla and claim edison was the fiend who held back tesla and tesla really invented everything...all nonsense of course.

[@danymalsound]

Stuff like this is what makes youtube way better than anything on traditional TV. Cheers!

[@MaarkiMarko]

Yes!@@danymalsound

[@davidestrella2495]

Learn the real history

[@EJFXxx]

hearing Mary Had Lil Lamb gave me chills

[@CapCarter838]

I worked here back in 2017 on a collections cataloging project. This is such a cool place. The collections team took behind the scenes of some of the rooms like in the back of the machine room on the first floor there’s this little office in the corner, I got to go in there it was so cool. I also got to go all the way into the back room of the chemistry lab building. I love the library so much it’s so nice. The day Edison died the cover for his desk was closed and the doors to the library were closed so everything is pretty much exactly as it was when Edison was using it. Another place I got to go behind the scenes of is where all the phonographs and cameras are on display. Behind that is display storage. There are so many more phonographs of all sizes and even speakers Edison had been experimenting with. All those creaks in the floor took me back, I can’t believe I remember their sound. Interesting fact… about 2 blocks to the back of the laboratory was one of the radium factories written about in the book The Radium Girls. I read that book the first time when I was working at Edison’s lab and it blew my mind the factory was close! My supervisor and the collections team took a walk to the site where the radium factory was. Today it’s an outdoor sports complex!

[@miked8027]

I took my daughter here when she was about 10 and I was just divorced. It was awesome. I definitely enjoyed more than she did . I live not far from his Menlo Park laboratory in Edison, NJ. Has a small museum in a tower. It right across from where his home was . It’s an empty lot . He owned acres there with many buildings. He even had his own railroad according to tour guide.

[@Audion]

The thing you were calling a flash bulb, was actually a carbon arc lamp.

[@theone2be33]

Imagine a world without all these important inventors?

[@sallykohorst8803]

Great history lesson. Thanks so much this tour.

[@scottrider641]

You captured the essence of Edison's work so well. What a fantastic tour. Thanks so much, Chris

[@MobileInstinct]

Thanks Scott

[@Curtis7391-t8q]

Too bad Edison screwed over the real genius…Nikola Tesla

[@KiegKillsReality]

Incredible how untouched this is! I wish more was preserved in this manor. It just makes it so much cooler to see!

[@Alex-cb2gf]

I visited the lab a few years back. It was very interesting.

[@theone2be33]

Imagine the noise, heat, grime, smell, in that place?

[@nikkigardiner9426]

Thank you, Chris! ❤

[@sarahe8544]

Love that old beat up furniture! 😍

[@jimd8008]

Family history. My grandmother babysat for the Edison grandchildren. She never mentioned which branch of the family. She interacted with Edison limitedly. There is a closed factory in Little Village area in NJ. It’s down Edison Road off state route 57. Also Edison promoted concrete (vs asphalt) for roadways. There is a ‘concrete’ mile that is still in use today near Little Village. It’s placarded

[@orionfl79]

I was born and went to school in NJ. I'm honestly actually surprised that as I kid I never once went on a field trip to that place!

[@867diesel]

what a shame

[@samanthab1923]

Same. Grew up in Monmouth Co. They didn’t even take advantage of all the Revolutionary War stuff. I did move to Metuchen after college for an easier commute & found an Edison monument shaped like a light house on Edison 💡

[@orionfl79]

@@samanthab1923I wonder if it was due to budgeting or the logistics of funneling 20 kids into a bus and taking them somewhere? Very strange but they usually took us to simple cheap things like the town hall to see a quilt some retired folks made, a few play houses in Red Bank, and I remember the big one being a trip to Cheesequake State Park where we all went swimming. Speaking of logistics - 20 soggy kids on a school bus heading back... :P

[@samanthab1923]

@@orionfl79 I wonder. 👋

[@calvinhobbes6118]

Its NJ, ran by Marxists. Marxists hate history because then you know where you came from, so you would know where you are going. Marxists dont want you to know so they can direct you where to go, instead of letting you decide on your own.

[@paulapirpignani4802]

Started my day w this one! Thank you Chris. Never would have seen this otherwise! Super enjoyed. Off to appreciate the day..🎉

[@susanblauss1530]

That was very interesting! Thanks for the tour,Chris!

[@stepps511]

Fascinating, Chris. Thanks for the tour and information. As always, a top job!

[@patriciajacobs7957]

How interesting is this wow. Thanks as always for taking us along. Great video

[@KRich408]

Been there twice once in the 70s and the mid 80s he also had a facility in Menlo Park. They had original light bulbs they would light up made with Bamboo filaments. And mentioned that when he invented the record he would throw them out a window making them thicker until they didn't break. There was something about vulcanizing rubber with real rubber from a tree. They also said as with today's world being the owner a lot of inventions were not his work his employees did all the experiments and hard work he just got credit for it. It's the same way today if you work for a company that creates things you usually sign an NDA that bans you from using anything you see or create for yourself outside the company for years after employment. They must have changed how you can see that museum nothing looks the same. We had a Guide that wouldn't let us wander alone anywhere. I'm getting old 😮 I have to visit again. At the end of the video the building on the left with the archway in front of you I think we're the windows he threw the records out of that's the only thing that looks familiar

[@hamlufet]

Another informative video. Thanks for the tour Chris! Big fan from the Philippines!

[@cattalkbmx]

Great content, thanks so much for all your work. Looks like a lot of fun.

[@jburnett8152]

Funny how what you picture in your head is way off. Wasn't expecting his work place to be so elaborate. Thanks so much for the tour.

[@user-wj3jl6tf2q]

I really enjoyed this Chris. Thank you.

[@tomy.1846]

Excellent tour! Thank you!

[@Sctronic209]

Totally cool would love to go see this exhibit.

[@thirtynine3955]

When i was a kid, i was fascinated by Thomas Edison. I used to go to the Edison House in Fort Myers any chance i got!

[@StrangeScaryNewEngland]

I just commented about that place! I lived down there for 8 years, his property there is gorgeous. And the fact that Ford and Firestone both lived there is wicked cool. That Banyan tree is friggin huge!!!

[@davidestrella2495]

Learn the real history he is a thief

[@thirtynine3955]

@@davidestrella2495 please share your facts...

[@Windydaniels]

I love your attention to small details

[@TheLmende]

Thanks so much for the tour. Very educational!

[@conorcuomo4283]

I'm a big fan of Tesla he was underdog in electricity race

[@RobsNeighbor]

Hello Chris great video as always!

[@CoolCat21859]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing this!

[@danideesh]

Hi Chris! How are you? Thanks so much for this historical piece on Thomas Edison. I had no idea that his laboratory was so vast. Wonderful historical information. I’m truly surprised that all of those machines & the laboratory itself, was so well preserved. Take care, Much love to you.😀❤️

[@pchts1]

Thanks for sharing, got to see the lab at Green Field Village a couple of times years ago but never got to New Jersey!

[@Kimbers58]

I love this! Thank you 👏 Sharing

[@2packs4sure]

Thanks for doing this this,, thoroughly enjoyed it !!

[@shakascloset1700]

Awesome tour. Thanks 👍

[@snowwhite7677]

The Industrial Age was Very LOUD. Everything was mechanical. Even offices were loud with all the typewriters & adding machines.

[@djtrishm]

Wow a fun and educational video! Thank you! Trish

[@zillsburyy1]

looks like the Springfield armory museum

[@scottl8137]

Really does, been inside the armory a few times

[@kevinkoepke8311]

Fantastic tour. Thanks!

[@cefruin]

Very interesting and informative video. Keep up the great content!

[@Movieclips_101]

Cool video Thanks for the upload 💯🙏

[@LeslieLove]

Great video Chris! :)

[@Eduardo-uo7qs]

Great vídeo. Congratulations Rio-Brazil

[@bigben1986]

Wow, this is crazy. I need to visit this place!!

[@able880]

Edison was credited with many patents - his workers were the inventors of much was credited to Edison - My grandfather was an early 1900s electrician he had commented Westinghouse allowed his workers to have the patients credited to his workers and those patents that Westinghouse used he gave the royalty's to the employ that worked for him or bought the patent at a fare market value from his employees - Just about all Edison's inventions were by his employees - had Westinghouse done the same thing he would have had far more patents then Edison had - My dad was a publisher of industrial trade magazines along with my grandfather's brother - My dad was born in 1912 - being a publisher of industrial trade magazines he was up on all the things in industry -

[@David-12322]

Im a machinist so yeah this is freaking awesome

[@MySaviorisJesusChrist]

That was interesting. It would be a great place to visit. Thanks

[@cjhatescomputers]

ive been there, its super cool. the smell of old machine oil and sawdust.... awesome place

[@GreggObst]

I've photographed there half a dozen times. It's pretty intense. An almost overwhelming concentration of things, inventions and technology from every facet of human existence. I've made some of my favotite photos there. They do not allow tripods or monopods and there are areas that can be very dark and others areas where it's dark on section of the machine shops and then the light coming through the giant street-side windows can be super bright. It's a light metering nightmare for many cameras. I suggest going on days when it's got 100% cloud cover to help with the light balance within the labs and machine shops. I've found my aging iPhone XR is actually a better photography tool there than my Nikon D850.

[@johnsykesiii1629]

Visited this lab many times when I was growing up in north Jersey. Some were school trips; others were family day trips. One was a day trip with my ex-wife who was born and raised in West Orange. After my grandmother died, we found several of those thick, one-sided phonograph records in her basement. Some were labeled, “Caruso.” I packed them into the back of my car and drove to West Orange to donate them to the museum. I had a brief professional involvement with a property next to the Edison Lab that was contaminated with radium. It was one of the places where the radium dial painters had worked. Luckily the contamination did not extend onto the Edison property as best as I can remember. Also, interestingly, there was a small jar labeled “Lithium” left on Edison’s desk when he died. Finally, again if I remember right, one of the buildings next to the Edison lab had a concrete pintle over the main entrance that was inscribed, “Edison General Electric Manufacturing Co.”

[@R118GSiVVC]

Very interesting Chris!!

[@dezertraider]

EXCELLENT CHRIS,OUTSTANDING..

[@ATGbowling856]

This is stuff I just love! I'm heading to Henry Ford museum in a few days. Then Abe Lincoln 's home.

[@rebeccalott8625]

This is fantastic!! Is it open to the public?

[@Audion]

Yes

[@Greenmachine305]

Crazy awesome. My kind of adventure!

[@andree.b4723]

Merci, very much appreciated the tour, folks do not know enough about the great efforts of inventors and visionary put in to their work to make our lives better or more enjoyable. Saw a clip the other day posted by Elon Musk employee who caught him at is desk in the late hours of the day, sitting at a desk working away, he asked him, what are you doing? You are a billionaire, go and enjoy! Elon got up, took the time to talk to him to explain that much, so much, needed to be done, and the quiet hours were a great time for it, a bed at work is always a great idea when you got a big brain full of idea's. Keep posting!

[@fasteddie8782]

Wow, what a beautiful place...

[@carolmilburn2324]

We went to visit his small museum when it was in Menlo Park. Didn't know this was there and I went to school in West Orange.

[@samanthab1923]

Such a shame. We don’t take advantage to things in our own backyard. I grew up near Marlboro & never knew there was an old train line from Matawan till my son told me. An actual station is there too 🚂

[@jcfly1]

GREAT video !!

[@j1st633]

A must see.

[@MobileInstinct]

Definitely

[@xCoolBreezex]

Crazy to think that the camera you were holding to record this was capturing one of the first cameras to exist

[@KRich408]

NJ has so much History. That's forgotten 😢 I've seen things most can't get access to even today. When I was young my Grandfather worked in the Original Singer factory in Elizabeth. It wasn't Singer at the time just a bunch of import/export companies, he worked as a elevator operator, security guard and boiler maintenance. I saw a lot of that building even flew kites on the roof . He would go crabbing in the arthur kill River behind the building and used sunken barges as a pier . Can't eat anything out of that water today to contaminated .

[@samanthab1923]

It’s sad. NJ was a great place to grow up. None of my family live there now. My only reason to visit is to stop by the cemetery 🙏🏻

[@lakemi4665]

Awesome thanks !!!

[@rickengen5249]

Cool video thanks chris

[@davidedwards1218]

It would be like today i come up with an idea and you come along and put your spin on it to make things better.

[@Liz-cmc313]

I love everything old. This was very cool. Looking at worn machines,floors,stairs,etc. That is such an amazing building. Thanks Chris! I do agree with one of the commentors,Tesla was robbed. Tesla was a absolute genius.

[@JedCurrie]

Good video thanks.

[@therolltacker]

Fascinating!

[@romansiguenza8738]

FYI free entry June 1 West Orange Fair. Will be attending.

[@Chazd1949]

Edison's home and small lab in Fort Myers Florida was in existence for many years. I don't know if it survived the hurricane last year - need to check on that.

[@jamesholt7612]

That's so cool.

[@jasonrusso151]

Carbon Arc Lamp, steady burning, no flash. but very bright.

[@jontooke846]

That was amazing I never knew this existed

[@kitcat9447]

The channel Life In The 1800s just posted a video of a man who worked here talking about his experience (filmed here as well.) It's called Man Born in 1860 Talks About Working In 1879. Super cool since I had just watched this a couple days ago

[@MrJeep75]

Fascinating place

[@mcsniper77]

Anything that was invented in that building Edison held the patent, it doesn't matter who invented it.

[@theWUisCOMINthru]

That’s pretty cool that you can still saunter on over to Edison’s laboratory to see all of Tesla’s inventions..

[@calvinhobbes6118]

Public education failed you.

[@Darylatlarge]

You can smell the History !!

[@rodgercottrill3342]

Cool vid

[@FlicknBean]

Ah yes, the man who ripped off Tesla and set humanity back a generation. Thanks for a lightbulb eddy🤑

[@jimsn9624]

Tesla was robbed!

[@peterreid]

swann invented the lightbulb as well

[@Jflux69]

Good Stuff

[@coreyellisart6877]

Thank you so much for this video I am perplexed at the amount of Machinery they still have in stock I have lived in a few different states and I've thought about moving towards Pennsylvania or Michigan but too cold there's a lot of these buildings still around with a lot of equipment still in them unfortunately the crime is through the roof in these areas you did a wonderful job add capturing little piece of Edison although he doesn't hold a candle to Nikola Tesla

[@thatscool1550]

that library though.......... wow

[@tweezerjam]

This needs to be given National Historic Designation

[@timbit72]

kinda would have been like working at apple, microsoft or tech r&d today...lots of similarities with promoting creativity, compound culture etc...

[@curtb.9450]

Id imagan to set up that shop back when it first started probly cost about $75,000 at best to put together

[@JD-hh9io]

I see some shiny pulleys. Must be getting some use.

[@user-tb2jy9lu3d]

I find the quote at 1:44 quite funny in that one thing Edison was good at was stealing patents from others so that he wouldn't have to think and invent for himself. Oh, and Edison, Nikola Tesla says f-u.

[@867diesel]

i was going to say how good Edison was at stealing from Tesla and could possibly be the most famous thief 🤣🤣

[@robertewalt7789]

The lab was part of a manufacturing facility, original Edison recordings were made across the street.

[@larrysnow135]

Went there while in the 4th grade in NJ

[@DavidBerquist334]

The big motors that turned the drive belts I remember them saying that they were 240 volts do you know if they were made before or after the turn of the century I was there when I was 10 years old