The Wizard of Shenanigans: Thomas Edison and His Love of April Fools
- Dillion Liskai
- Apr 1
- 4 min read
Thomas Edison spent an incredible amount of time inventing brand-new things that had never been conceived before. Many of those “things” referenced in the first sentence became his long list of amazing inventions, many of which can be seen firsthand either at the Thomas A. Edison Birthplace or inside the Don Gfell Education Center. He loved to invent something else in his spare time: practical jokes. There is truly no better day than today, April Fool’s Day, to look back at some of the pranks that the world’s greatest inventor “invented."
EDISON’S FOOD MACHINE
Less than a calendar year after Thomas Edison garnered worldwide fame and recognition for inventing the phonograph, the New York Graphic published a story on April 1, 1878, claiming that Mr. Edison had just finalized yet another universe-shattering invention. The man who had captured sound for humanity had reportedly created a device that could turn dirt into food. No longer would humans go hungry, for now they could create food from nothing. Thomas Edison reportedly told the Pittsburgh Dispatch, “In ten years, my machines will be used to provide for the tables of the civilized world. Meat will no longer be killed, and vegetables no longer grown, except by savages, for my methods will be so much cheaper.” Newspapers from around the globe replicated the story, and praise began to pour into Edison’s office. With all the attention, Edison couldn’t keep a secret any longer, and a month later, he sent a letter to the New York Graphic that read, “(The) April-first hoax concerning my alleged food machine has brought in a flood of letters from all parts of the country. It was very ingenious.” The New York Graphic, complicit in the joke, then humorously republished one newspaper’s editorial on Edison's machine in full, featuring the headline: “They Bite!”
EDISON’S GELATIN CLOTHING
Not long after his food machine prank, he made waves by claiming he had created yet another magnificent invention. One of the major problems of the late 1800s, and even today, is the availability of adequate clothing. Thomas Edison announced that he had solved the world’s clothing crisis by inventing shirts made of thin sheets of gelatin that could be worn for a day and then peeled off and discarded. Not only did it address a clothing crisis, but hypothetically, the shirts could also be eaten. Just like with the food machine, news of the gelatin shirts spread across the globe, and after Edison began receiving checks for the fictitious invention, he had to come clean in August of 1886 and let the world know it was just a prank.
EDISON’S SPIRIT PHONE
As Halloween in 1920 approached, Thomas Edison had quite a “treat” to share with the public. In an October 16, 1920, interview published in The American Magazine with Bertie Charles Forbes, the founder of Forbes magazine, Edison boldly revealed, “I have been working for some time on an apparatus to see if it is possible for personalities that have left this earth to communicate with us. " He went on to state, “If this is ever accomplished, it will be achieved not by occult, mystifying, mysterious, or weird means, such as those employed by so-called mediums, but by scientific methods. “Edison, the man who tirelessly developed the phonograph, the incandescent lamp, and the motion picture, was now attempting the impossible: communicating with the dead.
The world was abuzz with the news, but Edison, unlike the first two hoaxes, remained curiously silent about the necrophone, leading many to believe that his spirit phone was real. Thomas Edison publicly stayed quiet about the necrophone until nearly six years later, on October 12th, 1926, when he announced in the New York Times that his attempts to create a device for communicating with spirits had been a jest. Regarding B.C. Forbes, who wrote that world-famous article, Thomas remarked: “That man came to see me on one of the coldest days of the year. His nose was blue, and his teeth were chattering. I really had nothing to tell him, but I hated to disappoint him, so I made up this story about communicating with spirits; it was all a joke.” However, it is evident from his personal diary that, despite this public statement, Thomas Edison had continued to work in detail on the necrophone throughout the 1920s. Was this an attempt by Thomas Edison to keep deceiving the public long after he was gone, or did he genuinely seek to communicate with spirits? Unfortunately, the answer to this question has been lost to history.
There are numerous anecdotes that highlight Edison’s love of tomfoolery (no pun intended). While he was a relentless innovator, constantly pursuing his dreams, he also embraced the lighter side of life. His pranks were not merely diversions or wild goose chases; rather, they testified to his boundless creativity and understanding of the power of belief. Whether it was a groundbreaking invention or a fabricated hoax, people truly believed in Thomas Edison. Though we remember him primarily for revolutionizing modern technology, Edison’s mischievous spirit reminds us that even the greatest minds in history valued a well-played joke. He was not just the Wizard of Menlo Park or the Wizard of Milan, Ohio, but also the Wizard of Shenanigans.
Sources Used and Encouraged for Further Reading
Edison, Thomas A. 2011. The Quotable Edison. Edited by Michele W. Albion. University Press of Florida
Forbes, Bertie C. 1920. “Edison Working on How to Communicate With the Next World.” American Magazine 90 (16). https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112043966909&seq=705
Tablang, Kristin A. 2019. “Thomas Edison, B.C. Forbes And The Mystery Of The Spirit Phone.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristintablang/2019/10/25/thomas-edison-bc-forbes-mystery-spirit-phone/
The Museum of Hoaxes. “Edison's Food Machine (April Fool, 1878).” The Museum of Hoaxes. Accessed March 22, 2025. https://hoaxes.org/af_database/permalink/edisons_food_machine
Dillon Liskai, a native of Clyde, Ohio, is currently a junior at Bowling Green State University. He is pursuing a degree in Adolescent to Young Adult (AYA) Integrated Social Studies Education with a specialization in History.
For the past three years, Dillon has worked as a tour guide at the Thomas A. Edison Birthplace Museum. When not at school or the museum, he enjoys cheering on the Bowling Green Falcons, spending time with friends and family, and exploring local history.
Have a question for Dillon? Reach out via email at dliskai@tomedison.org!
Dillon what a great read! We so much appreciate all your work and that of so many others who have given freely to the birthplace. That’s no April fool!