Artifact #6

DISCOVERED

After a Century in Darkness

Edison Trial Evidence Collection

"Edison Electric Light Company vs. United States Electric Light Company"

Tar-putty Lamp No. 6 is also labeled Tar-putty Lamp Exhibit No. 26

"Edison Electric Light Company vs. United States Electric Light Company"

This is Tar-putty Lamp #6 from the Historic Edison Collection. It has a nine loop coil filament of perfect uniform turns made of lamp black and tar. The lamp also has a hermetically sealed uniform crystal clear glass globe and platinum lead-in wires, all made in strict accordance with the specifications of Edison renowned electric light patent. This Tar-putty lamp has two paper labels, the label located near the tip is marked with a "6" in the center. The older courtroom exhibit label located at the base is marked in dark ink with the number "26" (crossed-out by pencil).

Lamp #6 is one of the seven made specifically as exhibits for Edison's grueling electric light courtroom trial, "Edison Electric Light Company vs. United States Electric Light Company." In this high stakes legal tug-of-war reported around the world, Edison's competitors were beating Edison right up to when he presented these Tar-putty lamps as evidence. In the realm of jurisprudence, these Tar-putty lamp exhibits found in their original wooden box are the most world altering court evidence ever presented in a technology infringement legal trial. This was the evidence that finally won victory for Edison's "Electric Light" in the most reported technology infringement trial in legal history.

John Howell made this filament to match the Patent Office Model lamps: (Edison's Menlo Park 1881 Lamp "8", Edison's Menlo Park 1881 Lamp "9", and Edison's Menlo Park 1881 Lamp "10").

2007 is this lamp's 117 th. Anniversary

Go To the Collection Group Exhibit

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