This letterbook covers the period June-October 1912. Most of the correspondence is by Edison and Harry F. Miller. Included are items addressed to President William Howard Taft, longtime Edison associates Edward H. Johnson and Francis Jehl, electrical engineer Charles P. Steinmetz, and chemist Morris Loeb. Many of the letters relate to the commercial and technical development of Edison's alkaline storage battery and its use in electric vehicles and country house lighting. Also included is correspondence pertaining to Edison's phonograph and motion picture businesses, the selection of songs and artists for phonograph recordings, and negotiations with musical talent. Some of the letters indicate Edison's interest in the 1912 presidential campaign and his support for Progressive Party candidate Theodore Roosevelt. Additional items concern books read by Edison or added to his library, visitors to the laboratory, the disposition of old machinery and equipment, and the inventor's donations to charities and his membership in organizations.
The front cover is marked "T.A. E. From - June 27, 1912 To - October - 19, 1912." The spine is marked with similar information, along with the number "29." The book contains 704 numbered pages and an index. Approximately 10 percent of the book has been selected. Courtesy of Thomas Edison National Historical Park.