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Brooklyn Edison Company, Edison Wonder House Records

Creator:
Brooklyn Edison Company  Search this
Donor:
Hall, Gretchen T.  Search this
Extent:
0.15 Cubic feet ((1 box))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Articles
Photographs
Guidebooks
Date:
1936
Summary:
The collection consists of newspaper clippings, a guidebook titled Edison Wonder House, and photographs documenting the Edison Wonder House, a demonstration home created by the Brooklyn Edison Company in 1936 to showcase the wonders of electricity.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of newspaper clippings, a guidebook titled Edison Wonder House, and photographs documenting the Edison Wonder House, a demonstration home created by the Brooklyn Edison Company in 1936 to showcase the wonders of electricity.

There are ten 8" x 10" black-and-white photographs that depict the interior of the Wonder House. All of the photographs were taken by the Brooklyn Edison Company, Inc., with the exception of one which was taken by the General Electric Company. There is one 11" x 17" photograph that depicts the hostesses/guides/ who conducted tours explaining the features of the home. The photograph is annotated with the names of all sixteen women.

The guide titled The Edison Wonder House, details by home section (entrance, bathroom, kitchen, living room, and so on) the comforts of electricity. Included is a supplemental insert listing the cooperating firms that provided the building materials and accessories. The stick figure Reddy Kilowatt features prominently in the guide. Reddy Kilowatt was a cartoon figure trademark created in 1926 by Ashton B. Collins, Sr. More than 150 investor-owned electric utilities in the United States and at least twelve foreign countries licensed the use of the Reddy Kilowatt trademark.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged topically.
Biographical / Historical:
The Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Brooklyn was founded in 1887 to provide electricity to the homes and businesses of Brooklyn. it merged in 1919 with Kings County Electric Light and Power Company to form Brooklyn Edison. Brooklyn Edison merged with Consolidated Edison and other companies between 1936 and 1960.

In the early 1930s, the Brooklyn Edison Company created a 10 room house called the Edison Wonder House in the lobby of its showroom at Pearl Street in Brooklyn, New York. The house demonstrated the possibilities of electricity in the home. The demonstration home was not intended to be copied, but to provide future homeowners with ideas. Some special features of the house included lighting that was a sight saver, unusual clocks, a built-in aquarium, and a magic door that opened through the operation of an electrical eye.

The architect of the Wonder House was Albert Hart Hopkins of Buffalo, New York. Hopkins practiced architecture with Edward B. Green and Sons in Buffalo.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center

Reddy Kilowatt Records (AC0913)

Louisan E. Mamer Rural Electrification Administration Papers (AC0862)

Materials in the National Museum of American History, Division of Work and Industry

Brooklyn Edison Company Collection, 1926-1935

Collection contains annual reports of the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Brooklyn Edison Company, photographs, drawings, and graphs; and a 1926 pamphlet on the Hell Gate and Sherman Creek Generating Stations of the United Electric Light and Power Company.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Gretchen T. Hall in 2011.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Electric lighting  Search this
Electricity  Search this
Electric apparatus and appliances  Search this
Genre/Form:
Articles -- 20th century
Photographs -- 20th century
Guidebooks -- 1930-1940
Citation:
Brooklyn Edison Company Collection, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1237
See more items in:
Brooklyn Edison Company, Edison Wonder House Records
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a376df62-5871-4cdd-b0f8-4501ade31f4b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1237

United Electric Light and Power Company

Collection Creator:
Caldwell, William E., 1890-  Search this
Container:
Box 5, Folder 8
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1926
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
See more items in:
William E. Caldwell Papers
William E. Caldwell Papers / Series 2: Subject Files
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8f35e12f3-6f73-413e-800e-13e64622fbe2
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0971-ref45

United Electric Light and Power Company (New York, New York)

Series Creator:
Warshaw, Isadore, 1900-1969  Search this
Container:
Box 16, Folder 48
Type:
Archival materials
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Electricity, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Electricity
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Electricity / Business Records, Marketing Material, and Other / Companies / 1.1: United States Companies
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep89843a072-586c-4ae9-a10f-d25ea964c575
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-electricity-ref1169

William E. Caldwell Papers

Creator:
Caldwell, William E., 1890-  Search this
Names:
Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.  Search this
New York Edison Company.  Search this
United Electric Light and Power Company.  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
1.5 Cubic feet (5 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Articles
Technical literature
Reports
Specifications
Reprints
Date:
1914 - 1969
Scope and Contents:
Primarily printed materials relating to power plants and boilers in the city of New York: articles and reprints, technical journals, trade literature, notes, reports, charts, and graphs, and test data; also publications containing descriptions and specifications on individual power stations in New York.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1: Projects, 1914-1953

Series 2: Subject Files, 1923-1959
Biographical / Historical:
Caldwell, a mechanical engineer, worked for the United Electric Light and Power Company, New York Edison Company, and Consolidated Edison Company of New York.
Provenance:
Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Mechanical engineers  Search this
Power plants  Search this
Turbines  Search this
Genre/Form:
Articles
Technical literature
Reports
Specifications
Reprints
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0971
See more items in:
William E. Caldwell Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8b19879f5-03f5-4197-a6c6-4578afa0b570
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0971

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