ALS in pencil, signed “TAE,” two pages, lightly-lined, 5 x 8, August 28, 1924. Letter to his son Charles. In part: “A regular chemist such as Hal would get would be [sic] of little use to us…Cement chemist [sic] are quite different from regular chemists. All cement chemist [sic] are specially educated at Lehigh University in special courses…There is only one way for us & that is to hire a chemist now in charge to a big cement works who has held position for long time & who has made good & pay the salary required 5000 to $7500—after thorough investigation.” Moderate uniform toning and a few small edge chips and tears, otherwise fine condition. In addition to his more famous ventures, Edison was a pioneer in the use and manufacture of cement, devising a method to put to use waste sand generated during the manufacturing process used by his Edison Ore-Milling Company—this led him to found the Edison Portland Cement Company in 1899. He experimented with many applications of the strong material, including experiments in its use as an affordable housing material, envisioning a future of concrete houses filled with concrete furniture, refrigerators, and pianos. The company barely survived financially, with the exception of the period during which he wrote this letter—in 1922, they won the contract to provide the cement for the construction of Yankee Stadium. Shortly thereafter they returned to financial strife, exacerbated by the Great Depression, and never fully recovered. An interesting letter showing Edison’s deep understanding of chemistry, his favorite scientific subject. Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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