Niagara Falls Power Company Photographs
name: label: Creator
content: Niagara Falls Power Company
label: Collector
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of History of Technology
label: Collector
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
label: Collector
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry
label: Names
content: Tonawanda Power Company
place: label: Place
content: Tonawanda (NY)
label: Place
content: Niagara Falls (N.Y. and Ont.)
topic: label: Topic
content: Water-wheels
label: Topic
content: Power stations
label: Topic
content: Water-power
label: Topic
content: Power generation
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated to the National Museum of American History's Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (now Division of Work and Industry) by the Niagara-Mohawk Power Corporation, through E.B. Strowger, System Project Engineer in 1965.
creator: label: Creator
content: Niagara Falls Power Company
setName: label: See more items in
content: Niagara Falls Power Company Photographs
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection consists of bound photograph albums and loose photographs documenting the construction of the Adams Power Station (hydroelectric plant) and allied structures of the Niagara Falls Power Company, 1899-1919.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: In 1853, the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power & Manufacturing Company was chartered. The company purchased the water rights and began construction of a canal (1860-1861) and was the first company to generate hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls. 

The Niagara Falls Power Company was founded on September 19, 1889 after being re-organized and renamed from it's predecessor company, the Niagara River Hydraulic Tunnel, Power and Sewer Company. Edward Dean Adams, a New York financier became president of the company. Adams created a subsidiary company, the Cataract Construction Corporation to build a power tunnel before deciding on a method of power distribution.  Adams also secured the help of financiers, J.P. Morgan, John Astor, and William Vanderbilt.

In 1893, alternating electrical current (AC) was selected as the standard to used and the Cataract Construction Company began using AC for power generation and transmission. From 1892 to 1894, the Niagara Falls Power Company built two powerhouses, Powerhouse #1 (1892-1894) and Powerhouse #2 (1901-1903). In 1895, the Niagara Falls Power Company began placing contracts with the Westinghouse Company for long distance electric transmission development and implementation. 

In 1927, by resolution of the board of directors of the Niagara Falls Power Company, the power-houses and sub-stations were renamed in appreciation of the men who  pioneered the power industry and developed it.  Niagara Power Stations Number One and Two were renamed the Edward Dean Adams Statuon.  Also known as the Adams Power Station. The Adams Power Station built in 1895 was not the first hydro power station at Niagara, but it was one of the largest hydroelectric power generators of it's time and it was the first large scale application of AC power in North America. General Electric and Westinghouse collaborated on the project. Engineers Thomas Evershed, George Forbes, Benjamin G. Lamme, Oliver Shallenberger, Nikola Tesla, William Stanley, Dr. Louis Bell, and Charles P. Steinmetz contributed. 

Sources

http://www.edisontechcenter.org/Niagara.htm (last accessed on May 3, 2016)

Adams, Edward Dean. Niagara Power History of the Niagara Falls Power Company, 1886-1918, Volumes I-II. Niagara Falls, N.Y., printed for the Niagara Falls Power Co., 1927
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 7 Cubic feet (14 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1899 - 1919
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Transferred to the Archives Center by the Division of Work and Industry in 2007.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0949
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Business records
label: Type
content: Photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1: Photograph Albums, 1899-1919

Series 2: Photographs by Subject, 1899-1908
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2016.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Business records -- 1900-1950
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 1900-1920
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Business records -- 1850-1900
otherfindaid: label: Other Finding Aids
content: Inventory for photographs available.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection consists of bound photograph albums and loose photographs documenting the construction of the Adams Generating Station #2 (hydroelectric plant) and allied structures of the Niagara Falls Power Company, 1899-1919. The images depict generators, wheel pits, governors, plant interiors, river views, transmission lines, turbines, and unidentified people.

The albums are arranged numericaly from one to thirty. Albums 13, 19 and 20 are missing.  Each photograph has a number, date, and caption located in the lower left of the image. Typescript indices are included at the beginning of each album and the full index is linked to this finding aid.