Early experimental carbon arc light powered by a battery of liquid cells. The arc light, the first practical electric light, was used for street and building lighting from the 1870s to the early 20th century, when it was replaced by the incandescent light. This is a reproduction of the invention of the arc light by British chemist Humphrey Davy around 1808. Davy used a battery of 3000 liquid cells to produce a high voltage arc between carbon electrodes.