Edison screw-in rotary switch
date: label: Date made
content: 1883
name: label: maker
content: Edison Electric Co.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Hammer Collection item. A paper attached to this switch identifies it as the switch used in demonstrations of the Edison System in Europe. Reportedly it failed prior to a demonstration before the Crown Prince of Germany on 28 August 1883 and started a small fire that Hammer quickly extinguished. A section of the screw shell is melted and shows evidence of arcing. See blog post: https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2013/08/a-near-disaster-illuminates-an-1883-electrical-innovation.html
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from International Business Machines, Inc., William J. Hammer Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.320502
label: catalog number
content: 320502
label: accession number
content: 241402
objectType: label: Object Name
content: switch
label: Object Name
content: plug switch
label: Object Name
content: rotary switch
label: Object Name
content: electrical switch
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 3/4 in x 1 1/2 in; 6.985 cm x 3.81 cm