Edison-Johnson Electrical Manufacturing Co. signed by Thos. A. Edison Junior - 1900 dated Autographed Stock Certificate

Stock signed by Thomas Edison Junior as president. Rare!

Thomas A. Edison Junior. Aspiring to be an inventor yet lacking the necessary skills, Thomas Edison's son, Thomas Alva Edison Jr., became a source of concern for his father and his father's business. Beginning in the 1890s, Thomas Jr. engaged in the sale of snake oil products and dubious, fraudulent ventures that marketed items to the public as "The Latest Edison Discovery." The situation deteriorated to the point where Thomas Sr. was compelled to take legal action against his son to halt these activities, ultimately agreeing to provide Thomas Jr. with a weekly allowance of $35 (equivalent to $1,140 in 2022) in return for his promise not to use the Edison name; consequently, the son adopted various aliases, including Burton Willard. Struggling with alcoholism, depression, and poor health, Thomas Jr. held several low-paying jobs, but by 1931, towards the end of his life, he managed to secure a position within the Edison company, thanks to the assistance of his half-brother Charles.