Show electricity AS illuminant commercial value was not developed in this th s country until after the centennial centennial exhibition of 1876 the first firs t experimental philosopher to discover that electric light could be produced by a dry battery wa sir humphry davy who in 1810 exhibited a light three inches long between carbon points before the royal society of london but no commercial value was attached to the use 0 of electricity as an illuminant until more than halt a generation later the centennial exhibition hibi tion held in ila in 1876 really marks the era of our present form ot of electric light though electric lights had bad been in use abroad prior to that time the exhibition of models and practical demonstrations of electric lights at philadelphia Phila dephia in attracted the attention of scientists and capitalists in this country end and the first incandescent lamps and the first arc system were put to practical lisa itse in a small email way in 1876 the brush arc light gained favor in the beginning as the most adaptable for street lighting and cleveland 0 the home tt tf charles francis breeb the inventor was the tha initial antrican an Ano rican city to adopt tho the arc system for street light ing since 1878 both the brush arc system and the edison incandescent system have developed Mor morless leys magazine |