By Maureen Timm  The first great invention developed by Edison in Menlo Park was the tin foil phonograph. While working to improve the efficiency of a telegraph transmitter, he noticed that the tape of the machine gave off a noise resembling spoken words when played at a high speed. This caused him to wonder if he could record a telephone […]

By Mike Horine  Glass from the period between 1850’s to about 1910 is called Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG) or simply “Pattern Glass” but most collectors just call it EAPG. During this time frame there were hundreds of glass companies making table ware, in what is estimated to be as high as 3,000 different patterns. However, some of the patterns […]

Interested in attending these lectures? Give George Washington’s Mount Vernon home a call. Their number is 703-780-3600. They are located at 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway in Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121. Perhaps your travels will take you there. If not, you can attend virtually. You can also go to George Washington Library newsletter @mountvernon.org for more information. Tickets are available […]

By Robert Reed  Valentines are not as old as love, or even the romantic holiday itself, but they have been around for a long time.  Quite a number of authorities and historians consider Valentines to be one of the world’s oldest greeting cards, if not actually the first of their kind.  One old English custom called for the drawing of […]