ABSTRACT
Situated in a rural, bucolic town, Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park was not a retreat nor did it aim to be closer to natural truth; rather, it was part-factory, part-research laboratory. These contradictory aims are analysed, alongside the American machine-shop culture, Edison’s own empiricism, and the differences between an inventor and scientist. As with discussion of Rembrandt, Edison’s leadership strategies further illuminate the centrality of a visionary authority for the masterskaya archetype.
