Elektron Manufacturing Company Double Pole Main Electric Switch, circa 1889

THF165674 / Elektron Manufacturing Company Double Pole Main Electric Switch, circa 1889
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Artifact Overview

Switches open or close an electrical circuit to turn things off or on. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, knife switches were commonly found in engine or generating rooms, connected to factory motors, or mounted on a building's power and lighting switchboard. Operators pushed the hinged, metal blades into the switch's jaws to send electricity to where it was needed.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Switch

Date Made

circa 1889

Creator Notes

Most likely manufactured by the Elektron Manufacturing Company of Springfield, Massachusetts.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

58.95.5

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Edwin M. Parre.

Material

Metal
Stone (Worked rock)

Color

Black (Color)
Gold (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 3.75 in
Width: 10.5 in
Length: 7.5 in

Elektron Manufacturing Company Double Pole Main Electric Switch, circa 1889