Edison Records Whitman

A trip to the Edison Memorial Tower in Edison NJ. Edison recorded Walt Whitman reciting his poem "America."

ps. Have you seen the new Levi's jeans commercial using this Whitman recording? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uBsV8wAEhw&feature=related

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Walt
• Whitman
• America
• Thomas
• Edison
• Porter
• Watchung
• Hills
• WHRHS
• Poetry

[Traylorjim]

A good, inspiring video! Thank you for going to the source here, and for all the information you provided. Well done. I have heard this recording many times and really want to think it is Walt himself. I love the verve he puts into it, witnessed especially on the word "ample." He really nails it. It FEELS like Whitman's delivery, doesn't it? Thanks again.

[mnolanporter]

@Traylorjim I'm with you. The idea of Whitman & Edison getting together to record is just so cool to me -- I want to believe it's an authentic recording too.

[sportinguista117]

That is interesting how Edison and Whitman worked in a project together. It brings much curiosity on how two great people can create new life changing things.

Catarina Santos

[AlLwHiTeMeAt199]

It is interesting how Edison and Whitman have a connection with each other. Im sure their project was amazing during the time. Tim Sinnott

[MaggieKoll]

Im not suprised Whitman wanted to work with Edison on a project like this. The feeling i get from Whitman is that he had a very large intrest in expanding the literary world around him. It's very rewarding to really hear Whitmans voice, and feel for a moment the passionhe might have felt at theat time.

[GinaLovesMusic1]

I really hope this is authentic! It is such a cool idea to think that these two great men in our history worked together. I think it is also interesting what Kristina said because it is not likely that a scientist and a writer would cross paths. - Gina Crowell

[jen51995]

Jennifer King:

It never dawned on me that Thomas Edison and Walt Whitman were alive during the dame time period. I can get a better sense of what was going on at this time now that I know of Edison. It is amazing that only 4 lines of poetry could fit on the wax tube. This makes me think of how far technology has come.

[sk8enpysico700]

It's intresing to hear a recording from over 100 years ago. I also think that it is cool Walt Whitman and Thomas Edison knew each other. They are both very famous and it is cool that Edison recorded Whitman. -Nicole Honegger

[kristina2231]

Its really surprising that the Tomas Edison and Walt Whitman worked together in 1891. The fact that Edison was a scientist and Whitman was a writer makes it really strange for these two to cross paths. Its amazing that the recording of Whitman (if it's actually him) has been preserved for so long. I also find it interesting that the poem America was chosen to be recorded because it foreshadowed the impact that these two men were going to have on American history.

[jkenglerxo]

It is so strange how two such important figures in history actually worked together on somthing. I had no idea that they had ever met and it is amazing how these things happen. It was also very cool to hear a recording of Whitman I really hope it was him on the recording becuase it gave the peom more life and meaning hearing it from the author himself.

-Juliana Engler

[pengelsman7]

It is crazy how two of the more important people in US history actually worked together, since they were doing very different things. It is vey cool, though, that we are able to listen to arguably the best American poet over a hundred years past his time.

-Pat Engelsman

[1994stones]

i like your hair in this!!!!! Btw, it's amazing how such influential and famous names of history lived during the same time. But I guess it shows that amazing people are always going to be on this Earth, so its not that much of a coincidence that some will be in the same era.

Mr. Matty Stanisci