author
Henry Schroeder
1879–1952
An electrical engineer with a historian’s eye, he wrote lively, clear accounts of how electric lighting developed from early experiments into everyday technology. His work is especially valued by readers interested in the story of the incandescent lamp.
1 Audiobook
History of electric light
by Henry Schroeder
About the author
Born in New York City in 1879, Henry Schroeder studied electrical engineering at Columbia University, graduating in 1899. He later joined the Edison Lamp Works in Harrison, New Jersey, where he worked in the sales and commercial engineering side of the business.
Schroeder is best known as the author of History of Electric Light, published by the Smithsonian Institution in 1923. He also wrote about the development of incandescent lamps, combining practical industry knowledge with a strong interest in the history of invention.
That mix of engineer and storyteller gives his writing its appeal. Rather than treating electric light as a simple technical subject, he followed the long chain of experiments, discoveries, and improvements that made modern lighting possible. He died in 1952.