History of Electricity at the Smithsonian

The Division of Electricity at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History is the national repository for objects significant to the history of electrical science and technology. Although the Division has operated as a separate unit for less than three decades, activities at the Institution have contributed to the study of electrical history since the middle of the 19th century. This paper describes how collecting and exhibition policies have evolved; it also indicates how the artifacts, together with supporting documents and photographs, have supplied material for a variety of research projects.