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Maker:

Edison Electric Co.  Search this

Measurements:

overall: 17 in x 3 1/4 in x 2 1/2 in; 43.18 cm x 8.255 cm x 6.35 cm

Object Name:

luminaire

Date made:

1881

Credit Line:

from Joseph E. Hinds

ID Number:

EM.180940.02

Catalog number:

180940.02

Accession number:

24315

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Exhibition:

Lighting a Revolution

Exhibition Location:

National Museum of American History

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a0-e5b8-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_1355326

Maker:

Edison Electric Co.  Search this

Measurements:

overall: 2 1/4 in x 4 1/2 in x 15 in; 5.715 cm x 11.43 cm x 38.1 cm

lamp: 37.4 cm x 13.6 cm; 14 3/4 in x 5 3/8 in

Object Name:

luminaire

Date made:

1881

Credit Line:

from Joseph E. Hinds

ID Number:

EM.180940.03

Catalog number:

180940.03

Accession number:

24315

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746af-8204-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_1590513

Measurements:

overall: 24 in x 5 in x 15 in; 60.96 cm x 12.7 cm x 38.1 cm

Object Name:

luminaire

Other Terms:

lighting; luminaire; Lighting Devices

Place made:

United States: New Jersey, Edison, Menlo Park

Date made:

1881

Credit Line:

from Joseph E. Hinds

ID Number:

EM.180939

Catalog number:

180939

Accession number:

24315

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Energy & Power

Industry & Manufacturing

Exhibition:

Lighting a Revolution

Exhibition Location:

National Museum of American History

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-4c82-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_712840

Maker:

Edison Electric Co.  Search this

Measurements:

overall: 19 3/4 in x 2 1/4 in; 50.165 cm x 5.715 cm

Object Name:

Sockets, Set of

luminaire

Other Terms:

Sockets, Set of; Lighting Devices

Date made:

1881

Credit Line:

from Joseph E. Hinds

ID Number:

EM.180940.01

Catalog number:

180940.01

Accession number:

24315

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Exhibition:

Lighting a Revolution

Exhibition Location:

National Museum of American History

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-4c83-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_712841

Physical Description:

carbon (overall material)

Object Name:

Light Bulb Base

light bulb base

incandescent lamp base

Date made:

March 1881

1880

Credit Line:

from Joseph E. Hinds

ID Number:

EM.180932.01

Catalog number:

180932.01

Accession number:

24315

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-792d-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_995668

Physical Description:

bamboo (overall material)

plaster (overall material)

Measurements:

overall: 5 1/8 in x 2 1/2 in; 13.0175 cm x 6.35 cm

Object Name:

Light Bulb

incandescent lamp

Object Type:

Lighting Devices

Date made:

ca 1881

Used:

1879 12

Credit Line:

from Joseph E. Hinds

ID Number:

EM.180934.01

Catalog number:

180934.01

Accession number:

24315

24315

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-67f3-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_995670

Physical Description:

bamboo (overall material)

plaster (overall material)

Measurements:

overall: 5 1/8 in x 2 in; 13.0175 cm x 5.08 cm

Object Name:

Light Bulb

incandescent lamp

Other Terms:

Light Bulb; Lighting Devices; Edison; Plaster Screw Base; Horseshoe; Carbon

Date made:

ca 1881

Associated date:

1881

Credit Line:

from Joseph E. Hinds

ID Number:

EM.180934.02

Catalog number:

180934.02

Accession number:

24315

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Exhibition:

Lighting a Revolution

Exhibition Location:

National Museum of American History

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-67f4-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_995671

Physical Description:

bamboo (overall material)

plaster (overall material)

Measurements:

overall: 5 1/4 in x 2 3/8 in; 13.335 cm x 6.0325 cm

Object Name:

Light Bulb

incandescent lamp

Other Terms:

Light Bulb; Lighting Devices; Edison; Horseshoe; Carbon

Place made:

United States: New Jersey, Edison, Menlo Park

Date made:

ca 1881

Credit Line:

from Joseph E. Hinds

ID Number:

EM.180934.03

Catalog number:

180934.03

Accession number:

24315

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Energy & Power

Industry & Manufacturing

Exhibition:

Lighting a Revolution

Exhibition Location:

National Museum of American History

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-8101-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_995672

Physical Description:

bamboo (overall material)

Object Name:

Light Bulb

incandescent lamp

Date made:

ca 1882

Credit Line:

from Joseph E. Hinds

ID Number:

EM.180935.01

Catalog number:

180935.01

Accession number:

24315

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-6942-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_995673

Physical Description:

bamboo (overall material)

Object Name:

Light Bulb

incandescent lamp

Date made:

ca 1882

Credit Line:

from Joseph E. Hinds

ID Number:

EM.180935.02

Catalog number:

180935.02

Accession number:

24315

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-7a61-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_995674

Measurements:

overall: 3 1/8 in x 1/16 in; 7.9375 cm x .15875 cm

Object Name:

incandescent lamp

Credit Line:

from International Business Machines, Inc., William J. Hammer Collection

ID Number:

EM.241402.57

Catalog number:

241402.57

Accession number:

241402

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ad-7a77-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_1423377

Measurements:

overall: 3 in x 5/8 in; 7.62 cm x 1.5875 cm

Object Name:

incandescent lamp

Credit Line:

from International Business Machines, Inc., William J. Hammer Collection

ID Number:

EM.241402.58

Catalog number:

241402.58

Accession number:

241402

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ad-7a78-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_1423378

Measurements:

overall: 2 3/8 in x 5/8 in; 6.0325 cm x 1.5875 cm

Object Name:

incandescent lamp

Credit Line:

from International Business Machines, Inc., William J. Hammer Collection

ID Number:

EM.241402.59

Catalog number:

241402.59

Accession number:

241402

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ad-7a79-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_1423379

Creator:

General Electric Company  Search this

Gotti, Mary Beth  Search this

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Information, Technology and Society  Search this

Extent:

5 Cubic feet (22 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Travel diaries

Advertisements

Diaries

Blotters (writing equipment)

Business records

Manuals

Lantern slides

Stock certificates

Stereographs

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Date:

circa 1890s-1969

Summary:

The collection documents the technology of lighting and various business aspects of the General Electric Lighting Division throughout the 20th century and consists of correspondence, bulletins, price lists, business record books, stock certificates, sales and advertising materials, scrapbooks, photographs, and lantern slides.

Scope and Contents:

The collection consists of approximately five cubic feet of correspondence, bulletins, price lists, business record books, stock certificates, sales and advertising materials, scrapbooks, photographs, and lantern slides. The collection documents the technology of lighting and various business aspects of the GE Lighting Division throughout the twentieth century.

Series 1, Historical Background Materials, 1910-1969, contains documentation on the history of the National Electric Lamp Company and the development of the incandescent lamp. The European Diary of 1928 is a narrative written by three General Electric employees—Samuel Doane, Chief Engineer, Joseph Kewley, Sales Manager, and George Osborn, Sales Manager. This narrative describes their business trip to Europe in the spring of 1928. It contains black-and-white photographs, menus, brochures, maps, postcards, and drawings detailing their travels in Paris, Nice, Milan, Venice, Berlin, Amsterdam, and England. The Record of Accomplishment, 1969, is a chronological listing (time line) of various events and/or accomplishments within General Electric.

Series 2, Executive Records, 1903-1955, consists of correspondence, annual reports, and technical standardization notices. The technical standardization notices were created by the Standardization Committee. This committee made decisions on how to facilitate and increase sales, improve quality, cheapen cost, and further the interests of the members of the Lamp Association. The reports cover a variety of subjects such as packing boxes, felt washers, high candle power lamps, and tabulating machines. Many of the reports contain black-and-white photographs. The Lamp Committee Reports seek to detail the demand for incandescent lamps and their improvements.

Series 3, House Organs, 1919-1959, contains documentation on in-house publications for General Electric. The Stimulator, 1919-1920, promoted "lighting profits and cemented friendliness, cooperation, progress, and quality." The Lamp Letter, 1947-1950, was published by the Lamp Department and dealt specifically with lamp-related issues. The Lamp Department Bulletin, 1947-1950, was produced for GE personnel and dealt with a variety of issues from sales to lamp types to licensing issues. The See Better—Work Better Bulletin, 1959, was published by the Lamp Division as a service to industrial and commercial lamp users.

Series 4, Sales and Advertising Materials, 1910-1955, includes price lists for lamps from both General Electric and other companies, manufacturers' schedules, data books, sales notebooks for sales representatives, and Edison Mazda Lamp advertising cards. The advertising cards are approximately 3" x 6" and are in color. They contain ad slogans such as "His Only Rival," "Satisfied Customer," Edison's Dream Comes True," "Have You Electricity?" and "I like Lots of Light."

Series 5, NELA School of Lighting Records, 1920-1930, documents the school, now known as the GE Lighting Institute, for training sales people and customers in the proper application of various lighting products. The records contain quarterly reports and general and lighting course descriptions.

Series 6, Business and Stock Records, 1890-1912, contains record and minute books and stock certificates from other lamp companies. The record books contain correspondence, resolutions, stockholder information, and committee reports.

Series 7, Scrapbooks and Photographs, 1890s-circa 1950, contains one scrapbook from 1923 with black and white photographs, clippings, correspondence, charts, telegrams, and booklets documenting General Electric's Nela Park location. The photo albums contain black and white photographs of staff, lamps, bulbs, tubing, tabulating, filaments, lead wires, stems, mounts, and lighting installations. The scrapbook and photo albums have indices.

Series 8, Lantern Slides, 1880-1950, consists of glass plates of Edison, images of people in the work place, and lighting equipment.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into eight series.

Series 1, Historical Background Materials, 1910-1969

Series 2, Executive Records, 1903-1955

Subseries 1.1, Correspondence, 1909-1922

Subseries 1.2, Annual Reports, 1949-1955

Subseries 1.3, Technical Reports, 1903-1935

Subseries 1.4, Standardization Committee, 1903-1908

Subseries 1.5, Lamp Committee, 1909-1935

Series 3, House Organs, 1919-1959

Series 4, Sales and Advertising Materials, 1914-1953

Subseries 4.1, Miniature Mazda Lamps, 1914-1935

Subseries 4.2, Large Mazda Lamps, 1914-1934

Subseries 4.3, Carbon Lamps, 1915-1922

Subseries 4.4, Miscellaneous, 1914-1953

Series 5, NELA School of Lighting, 1920-1930

Series 6, Business and Stock Records, 1890-1912

Subseries 1, Business Records, 1890-1912

Subseries 2, Stock Records & Certificates, 1890-1912

Series 7, Scrapbooks and Photographs, 1890s-circa 1950

Series 8, Lantern Slides, 1880-1950

Biographical / Historical:

Established in 1911, Nela Park (named for the National Electric Lamp Association) in Cleveland, Ohio, has through the present day served as both administrative headquarters and research laboratory for the development and sale of General Electric's (GE) lighting products. In the years following Thomas Edison's electric lamp invention (1879) many companies began to make and sell lighting devices. A merger of Edison Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric in 1892 created GE, which quickly grew to dominate the market. Westinghouse and several much smaller companies struggled to compete. These smaller lamp companies could not afford engineering and research facilities on a scale comparable with those of General Electric.

The National Electric Lamp Company was organized on May 3, 1901, by Franklin S. Terry (Sunbeam Incandescent Lamp Company), and Burton G. Tremaine, H. A. Tremaine and J. Robert Crouse (all from Fostoria Bulb and Bottle Company and Fostoria Incandescent Lamp Company). Terry suggested that the small companies band together to operate an engineering department, conduct lamp research and development, improve manufacturing methods, and build better lamp-making machinery. He further proposed to raise capital from and share patents with GE. This built upon an earlier organization, the Incandescent Lamp Manufacturers Association, organized by GE in 1896. The new National Electric Lamp Company was a holding company in which—unknown even to many of the smaller companies' executives—GE held a controlling (75%) interest. In 1911, GE's involvement with National became public during anti-trust proceedings. GE then purchased the outstanding stock and absorbed the smaller companies by converting them into divisional units.

Thomas Edison had, in 1882, moved his company's lamp manufacturing operation from the Menlo Park laboratory to a new facility in East Newark (Harrison), New Jersey. Named the Edison Lamp Works, this plant became the main administrative and sales facility for Edison Electric's and later GE's, lamp business. Research moved to Edison's new West Orange laboratory. In 1900, after the merger, GE established a research lab in Schenectady, New York. After forming National, Terry and B. G. Tremaine consolidated the administrative functions of that company in Cleveland and by 1910 were actively seeking space for a new office and laboratory campus. They selected a site along Euclid Avenue that was then on the outskirts of town. This became Nela Park (the "Company" had changed to "Association" in 1906). In addition to the National buildings, GE began moving its directly-owned lamp operations to Cleveland after the 1911 settlement. From 1925 through 1930 the various departments at Harrison moved to Nela Park, with the sales department being one of the last to move. GE's lighting research was carried out at both Nela Park and Schenectady.

A focal-point at Nela Park is the GE Lighting Institute, formerly known as the Nela School of Lighting. Organized by the Illuminating Engineering Section of the Engineering Department in 1921, the Lighting Institute continues to train sales people and customers in the use and proper application of various lighting products.

For additional information about Nela Park, General Electric and the National Electric Lamp Company see:

Arthur A. Bright, Jr., The Electric Lamp Industry, MacMillan, 1949.

Harold C. Passer, The Electrical Manufacturers, 1875-1900, Harvard University Press, 1953.

Leonard S. Reich, "Lighting the Path to Profit: GE's Control of the Electric Lamp Industry, 1892-1941," in Business History Review Vol. 66, pages 305-34.

Hollis L. Townsend, A History of Nela Park: 1911-1957, published by General Electric.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

William J. Hammer Collection (AC0069)

Separated Materials:

The Division of Work and Industry (Electricity-related collections) hold several artifacts. See accession numbers: 33,407; 43,120; 68,492; 232,822; 1997.0388 and 1998.0231.

Provenance:

The collection was donated to the Division of Information Technology and Society (now the Division of Work and Industry) by Mary Beth Gotti, Manager of the General Electric Lighting Institute on March 22, 2001.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.

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:

Electricity  Search this

Electric lighting  Search this

Genre/Form:

Travel diaries

Advertisements

Diaries -- 19th century

Blotters (writing equipment)

Business records

Diaries -- 20th century

Manuals

Lantern slides

Stock certificates

Stereographs

Scrapbooks

Photographs -- 19th century

Citation:

General Electric Nela Park Collection, dates, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0789

See more items in:

General Electric NELA Park Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep89d3df569-a94b-4a8d-9aca-799c03a1c72f

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0789

Maker:

General Electric Company  Search this

Measurements:

overall: 2 in x 1 3/4 in; 5.08 cm x 4.445 cm

Object Name:

lamp socket

Date made:

ca 1898

Credit Line:

from International Business Machines, Inc., William J. Hammer Collection

ID Number:

EM.241402.122

Accession number:

241402

241402.122

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng453222fcc-5b50-44fe-9e91-10509ba4a335

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_2028663

Measurements:

overall: 1 in x 3/4 in; 2.54 cm x 1.905 cm

Object Name:

lamp socket

Credit Line:

from International Business Machines, Inc., William J. Hammer Collection

ID Number:

EM.241402.123

Accession number:

241402

Catalog number:

241402.123

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng4eabff699-b1c4-40a8-b666-57441b8122b8

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_2028665

Measurements:

overall: 2 1/8 in x 1 1/2 in; 5.3975 cm x 3.81 cm

Object Name:

lamp socket

Credit Line:

from International Business Machines, Inc., William J. Hammer Collection

ID Number:

EM.241402.124

Accession number:

241402

Catalog number:

241402.124

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng450a153a6-d953-4a90-9f27-0e25a18650ac

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_2028667

Maker:

Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co.  Search this

Measurements:

overall: 2 1/4 in x 1 3/8 in; 5.715 cm x 3.4925 cm

Object Name:

incandescent lamp base

Date made:

ca 1893

Credit Line:

from International Business Machines, Inc., William J. Hammer Collection

ID Number:

EM.241402.126

Accession number:

241402

Catalog number:

241402.126

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng4845b68ee-9665-4aad-bc1c-2978df39d645

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_2028671

Measurements:

overall: 2 3/8 in x 1 3/4 in x 1 1/2 in; 6.0325 cm x 4.445 cm x 3.81 cm

Object Name:

incandescent lamp support

incandescent lamp base

Date made:

ca 1883

Credit Line:

from International Business Machines, Inc., William J. Hammer Collection

ID Number:

EM.241402.127

Accession number:

241402

Catalog number:

241402.127

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng4c6d9cc74-e57c-4573-8c22-daa13360e819

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_2028673

Measurements:

overall: 3 1/2 in x 3 in x 2 3/4 in; 8.89 cm x 7.62 cm x 6.985 cm

Object Name:

lamp socket

Credit Line:

from International Business Machines, Inc., William J. Hammer Collection

ID Number:

EM.241402.138

Accession number:

241402

Catalog number:

241402.138

See more items in:

Work and Industry: Electricity

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng445ea1514-5e0b-4e36-a88b-0d1eaf0b11a1

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_2028695