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EDISON AND THE WORLD'S FIRST POWER STATION (EDISON, THOMAS.) Archive of the early days of Edison's work, including his notes from the Pearl Street Station's first day. 12 items in one folder, various sizes and conditions. Vp, 1880-1929
The Edison Illuminating Company's Pearl Street Station in New York was the first commercial power plant in the world, beginning service on 4 September 1882. This archive contains Edison's experimental notes from that first afternoon at the plant, as power flowed to the company's first 85 customers and launched a new era. The notes were written on an indicator card showing the plant's electrical load. Edison annotated the graph and wrote in a key showing the load for 1000 and for 400 lights. The card was later annotated by Edison's assistant engineer Charles L. Clarke, attesting that the notes were in Edison's hand. Also included in this archive are three cyanotype photographs from February 1880: "Front of Edison's Laboratory," showing Edison seated on the steps of the Menlo Park lab with his father, his two oldest children, and thirteen staff members, all identified "Edison Residence, Menlo Park, N.J." and, most importantly, "Interior of Edison's Laboratory, Menlo Park, N.J.," (see illustration), with four identified staff members. The lab is already wired for electric light fixtures, and numerous projects clutter the work stations. Edison's organ is visible in the background. Also featured are two documents discussing the estimated construction costs and specifications for the Pearl Street plant, July and October 1881 An invoice from the Brush Electric Illuminating Company to the City of New York for one month's supply of electricity to 67 street lights, 2 July 1883 A clipped Thomas A. Edison signature, undated Signed cabinet photograph of Charles L. Clarke and Charles L. Clarke's Autograph Manuscript Signed on Edison's breakthrough discovery, "Edison's First Commercial Lamp," incorporating some of his own eyewitness account. 12 pages. Schenectady, NY, 9 January 1929. These documents, which come from Clarke's personal papers, are a testament to Edison's great achievement: commercially viable electric light and power. A fuller description of this important archive is available upon request.
