Since the invention of the first incandescent lamps at the end of the 19^th century, there have been enormous advances in brightness and efficiency made possible by advances in glass and other materials.

Many individuals and institutions have played a role in the development of the technology, but “the history of electric lighting cannot be understood without accounting for [General Electric],” emphasizes Harold “Hal” Wallace, curator of the Electricity Collections at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.