Edison "New Year's Eve" Lamp
Edison "New Year's Eve" Lamp
Previous
Next
Usage conditions apply
- Description
- Thomas Edison used this carbon-filament bulb in the first public demonstration of his most famous invention, the first practical electric incandescent lamp, which took place at his Menlo Park, New Jersey, laboratory on New Year's Eve, 1879.
- As the quintessential American inventor-hero, Edison personified the ideal of the hardworking self-made man. He received a record 1,093 patents and became a skilled entrepreneur. Though occasionally unsuccessful, Edison and his team developed many practical devices in his "invention factory," and fostered faith in technological progress.
- Object Name
- light bulb
- incandescent lamp
- Other Terms
- light bulb; Lighting Devices; No Base; Horseshoe; Carbon
- Date made
- 1879
- used date
- 1879-12-31
- user
- Edison, Thomas Alva
- maker
- Edison, Thomas Alva
- Place Made
- United States: New Jersey, Edison, Menlo Park
- used
- United States: New Jersey, Edison, Menlo Park
- United States: New Jersey
- Physical Description
- carbon (overall material)
- glass (overall material)
- platinum (overall material)
- copper (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 6 1/2 in x 2 3/4 in; 16.51 cm x 6.985 cm
- ID Number
- EM.181797
- catalog number
- 181797
- accession number
- 33407
- Credit Line
- from General Electric Co.
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Electricity
- Energy & Power
- Engineering, Building, and Architecture
- Work
- Industry & Manufacturing
- American Enterprise
- National Treasures exhibit
- Domestic Furnishings
- Artifact Walls exhibit
- Exhibition
- American Enterprise
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.
Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.
