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The Chicago Edison Company - promotional booklet

This article was written for The Electrical Engineer magazine Jan. 23, 1895, about Chicago Edison Company electrical power.
https://books.google.com/books?id=4-dQA ... 22&f=false
The article was reprinted and made into a 20 page booklet. It is the same article with an added editorial. It has a tipped-in fold-out plan for the engine and boiler rooms of the Harrison St. Station. A few of the photo pages were moved to suit this booklet’s layout. Let us not forget that fabulous cover art too!

Thomas Commerford Martin was a founding member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, and served as president in 1887-1888. Impressed by both Tesla’s and Edison’s electrical capabilities, their works were the subjects of his electrical engineering writings and interest.

Size: 9” x 11.25”

The style of printing, bindery, and the papers used indicate this to be from the same period as the original article. Lightly soiled with some wear on the spine. Otherwise it’s in excellent condition.

$20 shipping is included

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Wow, as a light bulb collector first (and phonograph collector second) I can't believe I missed this one!

Light bulb collector? Do you know what happened to the antique socket forum? I hated to see that disappear. Are there any other forums where people discuss early electrical items? I'm not a seriou collector but I have a few fairly nice bulbs and fixtures and I enjoy reading about them.

TinfoilPhono wrote:Light bulb collector? Do you know what happened to the antique socket forum? I hated to see that disappear. Are there any other forums where people discuss early electrical items? I'm not a seriou collector but I have a few fairly nice bulbs and fixtures and I enjoy reading about them.

I wish there was still a good forum! Michael the owner of the socket forum sold his collection and moved onto other things. The whole site is down now (as of about 2 months ago).

There is bulb collector.com, but that forum has been a ghost town for a few years.

There is the AFCA "Other Collectables" (fan collectors) forum, but of course you know about that one!

One major researcher (and former collector) is working on what will probably be the most comprehensive book on early light bulb history every assembled, and He is fairly close to being finished. You should also have the Spark Museum book, there are some beautiful examples in there.

I would love to see some pics of your bulbs and related items. I specialize in pre-1900 with a major focus on pre-1890, and the 1892-94 period of "non-infringing" bulbs.

cmshapiro wrote:Michael the owner of the socket forum sold his collection and moved onto other things. The whole site is down now

What a pity. A classic example of the value of dead tree media. Books are eternal, digital can disappear in a second. The amount of information that was on that site about Bergmann products was mind boggling. I'm sorry it wasn't saved to ink and paper.

PM me your email address and I'll try to get a couple of pictures off to you. I'd be interested to learn more about my earliest bulbs. I don't really know all that much about them, but they fascinate me.

Like a lot of collectors I like to use antique bulbs around the house. Obviously not 1890s examples but there are plenty of 'Gem' and similar bulbs around. They last forever and aren't expensive so I don't worry about using them, and visitors are always amazed when I point out that a particular lamp has a bulb over 100 years old that has been burning nightly for the past 5-6 years. I have a Shelby lighting my hallway, it's been going over 4 years now. I have a couple of spares should this one finally die.