I wrote:
> What do you mean failure? Commercial failures? No, his inventions nearly > always made money. If you mean he went through several potential designs > for the lightbulb . . . > He also had some epic demonstration failures in 1878 and '79, when investors visited his house to see the light bulbs in action, and the lights burst and set fire to the curtains. His wife escorted the visitors out to the dining room while his assistants batted out the fires. The investors were getting nervous. It sounds like demonstrating computer software in 1979, or cold fusion today. The newspapers and his commercial and academic rivals had declared him a "failure" which may be where Jojo Iznart got idea he failed. By 1879 he was a expert in dealing with naysayer nitwits. In late winter Edison staged demonstrations lighting his buildings at night. These attracted thousands of people from New York. He as a master at public relations, unlike today's cold fusion researchers or Mills. In 1883 Edison's people installed stand-alone lighting in some prominent wealthy houses in New York City. They burned out J. P. Morgan's library. This is described in the book "Empires of Light." Morgan took it in stride, and was eventually delighted by lighting. - Jed
