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Luminaire with wooden mogul-base lamp socket

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
Online Media:

Luminaire with two Johnson bevel-ring lamp sockets

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
Online Media:

Fixture for Edison light bulb

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
Online Media:

Luminaire with Johnson bevel-ring lamp socket

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
Online Media:

Edison bamboo filament incandescent lamp (Base Only)

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

Johnson Bevel-Ring Lamp

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

Johnson Bevel-Ring Lamp

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

Edison light bulb with bevel-ring base

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

Edison Bamboo Filament Lamp

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

Edison Bamboo Filament Lamp

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

experimental incandescent lamp

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
Online Media:

experimental incandescent lamp

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

experimental incandescent lamp

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

General Electric NELA Park Collection

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
Online Media:

GE "acorn" style lamp socket

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

medium-screw base porcelain socket

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

medium-screw base porcelain socket

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

Base for Westinghouse Stopper lamp

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

Lamp support for use on Swan fixture

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

Benjamin Electric Co. 2-lamp cluster socket adapter for incandescent lamps.

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

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