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This web site accompanies an exhibition at the National Museum of American History exploring the process of invention. The story is told in two parallel sections comparing Thomas Edison's light bulb invention with several electric lighting inventions of a century later. Objects and graphics from both sections of the exhibition can be viewed on this site, as can the complete exhibition script.
The process of innovation
can be considered in a sequence of five steps.
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Step 1: "preconditions" or prior knowledge that inventors build on
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Step 2: the act of "invention" itself
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Step 3: "promotion" of the invention
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Step 4: "competition" to the invention
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Step 5: "consequences" stemming from use of the invention
The doors above will lead you to these steps for Thomas Edison's work in the late 19th century, and for the work of lamp inventors in the late 20th century. In the Guest Lounge there are photographs, a reference library, links to interesting sites, and the scripts and lists from the physical exhibition.
Enjoy your tour!
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Webnotes |
What's New |
| Exhibition
Script: 19th century section |
Site Map | Exhibition
Script: 20th century section |
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| 19th
Century Invention Hall |
20th
Century Invention Hall |
Guest
Lounge & Library |
| Copyright
© 2020 Smithsonian Institution (Policy Statements) |
Last
Updated: May 2020 |
E-mail
for Questions & Comments: Electricity Collections |
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