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A PBS episode of their American Experience series, this
program follows Thomas Edison's efforts to transform America by the miracle of electric
light. In September 1878, when Thomas Edison announced his intention to harness Niagara
Falls and produce a safe, electric light system, gas stocks plummeted on Wall Street. It
was said that soon, only the rich could afford candles. While "the Wizard of Menlo
Park" and his staff would, in time, develop all the components needed for an
electrical system -- bulbs, sockets, switches, wires, junction boxes, power meters,
voltage regulators -- Edison himself became caught in a web of personal, patent, and
corporate battles. In the end, Thomas Edison revolutionized the world, yet lost control of
the industry that he founded. Produced by Rocky Collins. (57 min.) |