On February 11, 1847, a man was born whose inventions literally changed the world - Thomas Alva Edison was a talented engineer and mechanic, successful entrepreneur, an author and owner of several thousands of patents for essential technical inventions of the late 19^th - early 20^th centuries.

Audio story-essay about the life of the prominent inventor is published in our regular Audio Stories column.

Thomas Edison was one of the greatest inventors in the history of humankind. He created phonograph - the first device for recording and reproduction of sound, developed the first telephone transmitter, improved telegraph system, embedded production of updated electric bulb with screw base and lamp-socket, defined the principle of film screenings. He established a great number of production companies that manufactured electrically propelled vehicle, energy storage devices, electric bulbs, phonographs, gramophones and talking dolls.

Various models of Edison phonographs and gramophones are presented in the museum Collection exposition. Among them are: the first phonograph, functioning on the basis of foil tin covered cylinders (1880); the first phonograph with spring motor (1899); GEM phonographs (1900); Bell Business phonographs (1900), Business (1906), Bell, Home, Triumph, Suitcase, Standard, Fireside, Amberola, Concert, Diamond Discs gramophones and Bell Portable gramophones; as well as voice recorders, shaving machines, Edison system cylinders and gramophone records.

The photos of those exhibits are presented in the thematic album in our Photo Gallery.