A Lightbulb and a Lake
The first house ever to be lit by electric light was the home of the bulb's inventor, scientist Joseph Swan – and still stands, in a quiet corner of Gateshead. Now a private residence, Underhill still boasts some early light fittings. Here – in the converted conservatory – Swan laboured for years on improvements in photographic plates, and on variations on a vacuum bulb, in which two platinum wires were connected by a strip of carbonised paper. But the imperfect vacuum always caused these bulbs to burn out within seconds – until in 1878 Swan replaced the paper with a strand of an artificial fibre somewhat similar to rayon (essentially creating the world's first artificial fibre, in passing!). By 1879, Swan was ready to show his invention to the world, holding early demonstrations for Newcastle' Literary and Philosophical Society, and in Gateshead Town Hall. The following year, he created a truly stable electric light bulb.
Six years later, Gateshead was in the grip of an unusually deep and prolonged spell of freezing weather. Mr Elliott, Chief Constable of Gateshead, had the idea of setting up Swan Pond, Sheriff Hill, as an ice rink – with all profits going to the Royal Victoria Infirmary across the river. There was only one problem – Swan Pond was a long way from an electricity source, and January days were short. Anywhere else in the country, this might have proved insurmountable, but in 1886 the banks of the Tyne were a hotbed of engineering innovation. Elliott approached engineering firm Clarke, Chapman and Co for ideas, playing on the good publicity to be gained by involvement. As it happened, young engineer Charles Parsons had just invented the “turbo-dynamo”, a new type of portable generator which was soon to render all others obsolete. On it's own, this wouldn't have done any good – but Elliott also persuaded Joseph Swan to supply the light bulbs. Fitted with wheels and dragged by horse to the pond, the new turbo-dynamo was paired with the incandescent bulb, to provide a spectacle few would have seen before. The idea of skating by electric light was so popular that in three days, Elliott had raised £100 for the hospital – though the rink was too crowded for anyone to actually get much skating done!
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