Artifact #21

Historic Edison Collection

Most Famous Lamps in the World

Famous Edison Lamp Collection DISCOVERED After Century in Darkness

This Edison lamp was made at Menlo Park. This is the only lamp of its kind known to exist. It is extremely rare among early Edison lamps because this lamp has a very unique distinction, a "graphite" filament. Its rarity is further enhanced by the fact that it was tested and documented by Edison Pioneer, John W. Howell (Edison's key court witness). According to the documentation, John Howell states, "Lamp 21 - made in Menlo Park in 1880 or 81 - filament made by compressing graphite. This lamp measured by J. W. Howell - had a negative temperature coefficient, and it proved to us that the deposit put on the carbon filament during the treating process - was graphite" (see Howell Notation). The broken tip allowed access to extract a small section of graphite filament. John Howell tested to determine that this filament material is in fact made of Graphite and February 18, 1882 is etched in his handwriting into the glass near the base of the lamp. This lamp has the famous Edison "Horseshoe" filament shape used in Edison's first commercial electric incandescent lighting installation aboard the Steamship Columbia, May 2, 1880. A description about the SS Columbia light system with an engraving of this famous Horseshoe shape is given in "Menlo Park Reminiscences" written by Edison Pioneer Frances Jehl, © 1936, page 374. This is an extraordinary rare "Graphite Horseshoe" Edison electric incandescent lamp.

2006 is this lamp's 126 th. Anniversary

Go To the Collection Group Exhibit

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