Building the working reproduction of Thomas Edison's first success ful innovation was a labor of love for everone on the team. The first step was to secure our own collection of original stock tickers. We began purchasing the tickers several years ago from auction houses, retired Western Union repairmen, retired stockbrokers, estates, and other collectors. We now own what may be the largest collection of historic stock tickers.
We dismantled a number of these machines in order to study each part closely. We also visually examined many original stock tickers in museums.
We were able to get a couple of the original stock tickers from our collection ticking again. We brought these tickers to schools, antique shows, universities, and small businesses. We went to New York City where we were introduced to business leaders, the media, Wall Street executives, and historians.
Klaus Berner, Project Leader and Machinist
Mr. Berner is the owner of the Berner Machine Labs. He oversees all aspects of the Stock Ticker project, from ensuring that the individual parts are properly manufactured to "road testing" each machine for reliability.
Richard Berner, Master Machinist
Mr. Berner is responsible for the schematic drawings and calculating the precision tolerances for the Stock Tickers.
John Bowditch, Historian
Mr. Bowditch's extensive knowledge allows him to ensure the highest standards of quality and historical accuracy.
Garry Venable, Cabinet Maker
Mr. Venable, a respected custom furniture maker, handcrafts each mahogany pedistal from both functional and aesthetic perspectives.
Tessa Rickard, Artist
Ms. Rickard's eye for detail and practiced handskills are evident in the flawless finish work on the Stock Ticker.
Douglas Martin, Software Specialist
Mr. Martin developed our exclusive, user-friendly software, allowing your computer to "talk" to the Stock Ticker.
Brian Murphy, Electronics Specialist
Mr. Murphy was key in the interface between the computer and the Stock Ticker, and in the function design of the pedistal.
