Thomas Edison didn’t come to Seattle in 1903, but he did visit in 1908 with his wife and daughter, and they stayed at the Rainier Grand Hotel. They went sightseeing, and Edison was particularly curious about the sluice work at the Denny Hill regrade. He was interested in hydroelectric power, but his passion at the time was concrete housing. He was certain concrete would be the construction material of the future. Edison has been described by many as ruthless in his pursuit of dominating the field of electrical invention. While he was among those who propelled technology forward, his aggressive methods and callous disregard for his competitors prevented him from being the hero he’s portrayed to be in many history books. It was the way of business in America then, and sadly now. Survival of the fittest, and merciless.
For historical details of the Bon Marché in Seattle, I give thanks to the Sophie Frye Bass Library and staff of the Museum of History and Industry. I did my best bring the Bon back to life as it was in 1903, although I took creative license with some details when digging failed to provide what I wanted to know. Thanks to Marv and Margaret Jahnke for helping me analyze old photos of the Bon Marché.
My gratitude to two early readers, U.S. Foreign Service Officer Michael Mates, a kind man with a brilliant eye for detail and a wealth of historical knowledge, and Anna Lyn Horky, who is blessed with the gift of spotting typos and the ability to turn a gangly sentence into one that flows smoothly. Special thanks to Torie Stratton for proofreading the ARC.
The hunt for a cover photo of early Christmas lights led me to Jerry Ehernberger, founder of the Golden Glow of Christmas Past, and his partner Bob; Thomas Carlisle, longtime member of Golden Glow; and Vicki Stapleton and her husband Tony Fracasso. They all generously spent time photographing their antique Christmas lights in various poses. Poisoned Pen Press’ cover designer Rich Siegle considered all the photos and selected one by Vicki and Tony to feature. The lights date from approximately 1912-1920. They differ from the Edison GE outfits of 1903—the sockets are wood, they are battery-powered, and the lamps are round—but they are an excellent visual representation of the early days of Christmas lights.
I’m proud to belong to the family-team of Poisoned Pen Press, who all work hard to ensure that each book they publish is the very best it can be. Special thanks to my fabulous editors Barbara Peters and Annette Rogers.
I’m so very lucky to have the emotional support of family and friends, especially my mom and pop, sisters, and last but not least, my husband and son. I know I say this in every book, but it’s true. You make everything in life worthwhile.
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Edison Effect, The: A Professor Bradshaw Mystery (The Edison Effect) Page 26