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History of electric light

Chapter 3: FOREWORD
By Henry Schroeder
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Engineering & TechnologyHistory - Modern (1750+)

About This Book

A chronological, technical survey of electric lighting traces developments from early experiments with friction machines, Leyden jars and voltaic piles through advances in batteries, electromagnetic discoveries and the invention of the dynamo. It follows the parallel evolution of arc and incandescent illumination, outlining experimental filament and arc-control methods and the move to commercial installations and distribution schemes such as series, multiple and three‑wire systems. Later sections review later lamp technologies—Nernst, mercury‑vapor, gas‑filled and tungsten types—together with transformers, rectifiers, standardized voltages and sockets. The book is illustrated and includes a chronology, cost and usage statistics, and a selected bibliography.

FOREWORD

In the year 1884 a Section of Transportation was organized in the United States National Museum for the purpose of preparing and assembling educational exhibits of a few objects of railroad machinery which had been obtained both from the Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia in 1876 and still earlier as incidentals to ethnological collections, and to secure other collections relating to the railway industry.

From this beginning the section was expanded to include the whole field of engineering and is designated at present as the Divisions of Mineral and Mechanical Technology. The growth and enlargement of the collections has been particularly marked in the fields of mining and mineral industries; mechanical engineering, especially pertaining to the steam engine, internal combustion engine and locomotive; naval architecture, and electrical engineering, particularly the development of the telegraph, telephone and the electric light.

In the acquisition of objects visualizing the history of electric light the Museum has been rather fortunate, particularly as regards the developments in the United States. Thus mention may be made of the original Patent Office models of the more important dynamos, arc lights and incandescent lights, together with original commercial apparatus after these models; a unit of the equipment used in the first commercially successful installation on land of an incandescent lighting system, presented by Joseph E. Hinds in whose engraving establishment in New York City the installation was made in 1881; and a large series of incandescent lights, mainly originals, visualizing chronologically the developments of the Edison light from its inception, presented at intervals since the year 1898 by the General Electric Company.

The object of all collections in the Divisions is to visualize broadly the steps by which advances have been made in each field of engineering; to show the layman the fundamental and general principles which are the basis for the developments; and to familiarize the engineer with branches of engineering other than his own. Normally when a subject is completely covered by a collection of objects, a paper is prepared and published describing the collection and the story it portrays. In the present instance, however, on account of the uncertainty of the time of completing the collection, if it is possible ever to bring this about, it was thought advisable to publish Mr. Schroeder’s paper which draws upon the Museum collection as completely as possible.

Carl W. Mitman,
Curator, Divisions of Mineral and
Mechanical Technology,
U. S. National Museum.