Edison vs. Tesla | Prometheus’ Fire
5/6/202640 min
In the 1870s, the age of artificial light was still in its infancy. Gas lamps cast a dim glow on city streets, and early arc lights were just beginning to appear in a handful of public spaces. But reliable, practical light for homes and businesses remained out of reach for most people. Then, in 1878, America’s most famous inventor, Thomas Edison, witnessed a demonstration of a novel electric generator and had a spark of inspiration.
Edison was convinced that he would be the one to harness electricity to illuminate the world. He set his sig...
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsLindsey Graham· Host0:00
Hello, American History Teller listeners. I have an exciting announcement. I'm going on tour and coming to a theater near you. This live show is a thrilling evening of history, storytelling, and music with a full band accompanying me as we look back to explore the days that made America, and they aren't the days that you might think. Sure, everyone knows July 4th, 1776. We'll be hearing a lot about that date this year, but there are many other days that are maybe even more influential. So come out to see me live. More shows to be announced soon. So for information on tickets and upcoming dates, go to americanhistorylive.com. That's americanhistorylive.com. Come see my Days That Made America Tour live on stage. Go to americanhistorylive.com. [drum roll] [footsteps] Imagine it's Sunday, September 8th, 1878, in Ansonia, Connecticut. You're the owner of a successful brass and copper foundry, but your real passion is technology. Today, you're excited because you're expecting an esteemed guest, the famous inventor Thomas Edison. It's rare that he takes a break from his busy workshop, but a mutual friend convinced him to visit your foundry to take a look at something you've been tinkering with, a new electric lighting system. So as you wait for him to arrive, you nervously check your electrical generator, called a dynamo, which feeds electricity through copper wiring to a row of arc lights you've hung on the wall. [door opening] The foundry door opens, and in walks Edison, wearing a floppy straw hat