Energy & Power

The Museum's collections on energy and power illuminate the role of fire, steam, wind, water, electricity, and the atom in the nation's history. The artifacts include wood-burning stoves, water turbines, and windmills, as well as steam, gas, and diesel engines. Oil-exploration and coal-mining equipment form part of these collections, along with a computer that controlled a power plant and even bubble chambers—a tool of physicists to study protons, electrons, and other charged particles.
A special strength of the collections lies in objects related to the history of electrical power, including generators, batteries, cables, transformers, and early photovoltaic cells. A group of Thomas Edison's earliest light bulbs are a precious treasure. Hundreds of other objects represent the innumerable uses of electricity, from streetlights and railway signals to microwave ovens and satellite equipment.


-
Edison underground electrical junction box
- Date made
- 1885
- ID Number
- EM.314917
- catalog number
- 314917
- accession number
- 212336
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Plane for making Edison bamboo filaments
- Description
- Inventing a new technical device not only involves creating the device itself, but often entails creating special tools to produce the device or the component pieces of the device. Thomas Edison conducted experiments on hundreds of different types of natural fibers in his search for a material that would serve as a light bulb filament.
- Date made
- 1880
- associated user
- unknown
- maker
- Edison, Thomas Alva
- S. R. Wells & Co.
- ID Number
- EM.314259
- catalog number
- 314259
- accession number
- 198085
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Rotary electric light switch
- Date made
- 1882
- date made
- 1887
- associated person
- Edison, Thomas Alva
- maker
- Bergmann & Co.
- ID Number
- EM.181754
- catalog number
- 181754
- accession number
- 33261
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Motor for Edison electric fan
- Date made
- c1885
- ca 1885
- date made
- ca. 1885
- associated person
- Edison, Thomas Alva
- maker
- Edison Electric Co.
- ID Number
- EM.337118
- catalog number
- 337118
- accession number
- 1979.0430
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Edison underground power conductor
- Date made
- 1885
- maker
- Edison, Thomas Alva
- ID Number
- EM.314919
- catalog number
- 314919
- accession number
- 212336
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Switch for Edison dynamo
- Date made
- 1881
- maker
- Edison Electric Co.
- ID Number
- EM.180944
- catalog number
- 180944
- accession number
- 24315
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Edison fuse block and fuse
- Date made
- 1881
- maker
- Edison Electric Co.
- ID Number
- EM.180943
- catalog number
- 180943
- accession number
- 24315
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Edison electric power switch
- Date made
- c1882
- ca 1882
- ID Number
- EM.318717
- catalog number
- 318717
- accession number
- 232729
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Edison chemical-type electric meter
- Date made
- ca1882
- ca 1882
- associated person
- Edison, Thomas Alva
- maker
- Edison Electric Co.
- ID Number
- EM.262476
- catalog number
- 262476
- accession number
- 52260
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Fixture for Edison light bulb
- Date made
- 1881
- ID Number
- EM.180939
- catalog number
- 180939
- accession number
- 24315
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Light switch for Edison installation
- Date made
- 1881
- ID Number
- EM.180942
- catalog number
- 180942
- accession number
- 24315
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Edison ammeter
- Date made
- c1882
- ca 1882
- associated person
- Edison, Thomas Alva
- maker
- Bergmann & Co.
- ID Number
- EM.331146
- accession number
- 294351
- catalog number
- 331146
- collector/donor number
- 20-03
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Display of Edison experimental light bulb filament
- Date made
- 1881
- maker
- Hammer, William J.
- Edison, Thomas Alva
- ID Number
- EM.320526
- catalog number
- 320526
- accession number
- 241402
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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- Hair ornaments 4
- Switch; Components; Power and Lighting; Power and Lighting 4
- electrical switch 4
- Ammeter 2
- Ammeter; Measuring Devices 2
- Cable 1
- Cable; Cables and Wires; Power 1
- Fan; Motors and Generators 1
- Fans (costume accessories) 1
- Filaments 1
- Fuseblock 1
- Fuseblock; Components; Power and Lighting; Power and Lighting 1
- Junction box 1
- Tools and equipment 1
- cable sample 1
- electric appliance 1
- electric fan 1
- filament tool 1
- lamp filament samples 1
- lighting; luminaire; Lighting Devices 1
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