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The technical scrapbooks are a set of seven books containing notes and drawings made by Edison between 1881 and 1888. Edison subsequently gave these materials to his attorneys and draftsmen to work into patent applications. They were eventually placed in these scrapbooks. Although the majority of items were pasted directly onto the scrapbook pages, numerous loose items were also inserted into the books. Many of the notes and drawings were witnessed by draftsmen Samuel D. Mott and Edward C. Rowland. The names of patent attorneys Zenas F. Wilber and Richard N. Dyer also occasionally appear on the documents as witnesses. Most of the notes and drawings concern electric lighting, but there are also entries relating to other topics, such as telephony, telegraphy, electric railways, and the manufacture of artificial pearls. A related scrapbook covering the period 1877-1880 (Cat. 1146) , can be found in Thomas A. Edison Papers, Part I (1850-1878). The scrapbooks were disbound prior to editing. Courtesy of Thomas Edison National Historical Park.