2-377-949 - Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images

Thomas Alva Edison, American inventor, sitting beside his improved machine, 1889. Dubbed The Wizard of Menlo Park by a newspaper reporter, Edison (1847-1931) was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production to the process of invention, and therefore is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory. Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history, holding 1093 US patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France and Germany.