Nye’s chapter “The Great White Way” discusses the early days of electric lights, from their theatrical antecedents to their use as spectacle in celebration and advertisement. The term “Great White Way” refers to the use of bright carbon and later incandescent-based street lights that illuminate city paths such as New York’s Broadway and California’s San Francisco.

Early, less utilitarian versions of electric lights had been used slightly earlier than the invention of Edison’s electric lights. (29-30) This is not the only technology or phenomenon that theaters have pioneered, as early brands of makeup also got their start on the stage before becoming commercially-sold goods. During these years, electricity was seen as novelty rather than utility, as common with many of Edison’s inventions, including elements of the phonograph systems that would later become key to the social popularity of playable and record-able sound.

In the early twentieth-century, electricity was beloved by many as a symbol of both celebration and the “superiority of the past over the present.” (41) It would not be until the 1920s that electric lights became a “normal” part of daily American life. (69) At the sight of the illuminated Buffalo Tower at the turn of the century, one writer, Mabel Barnes, remarked that electricity was a “triumph not of Aladdin’s lamp, but of the masters of modern science over the nature-God electricity.” (49) Advertising, while controversial to some, was welcomed by others - as tourists greatly enjoyed the bright lights adorning Times Square. (50-2) The proliferation of electric lights across American cities was due to a combination of strong marketing by companies like General Electric and Westinghouse, as well as an American infatuation with notions of “man over nature.” By brightly illuminating the night, there were far fewer limits to man’s activities. The commercial success of electric lights was partially due to them being used at the right place, sold by the right people, and introduced at the right time.(==Glynnis Farleigh)

This chapter focused on the early stages of electric lights. I found it interesting, being a theater person myself, that theaters were one of the first places to use electric light. In the text, it states that theaters used arc light because they found that you could make cool effects like a sunrise or sunset with the lights. The chapter also discusses the electric lights effect on the World's fair. In a sense, the electric light brought people from different places and different walks of life together to one place. – Erin Madden

I thought it was interesting that the hundreds of American Street Railways built were mostly private ventures for those private investors that helped bring along the development of the “Old Horsecar Lines.” These investors were the ones that mainly focused on Real Estate. An example of someone doing something for a city, however, Henry M. Whitney would put six streetcar companies together to “monopolize” Boston public transit, which in turn would stimulate the sales of the property that he owned that was along a boulevard adjacent to Brookline. – Hunter Dykhuis

In the early twentieth century, contained electricity was a revolutionary invention that I believe heavily influenced and strengthened American capitalism. Unlike countries in Europe, ”Americans treated electrification as a business rather than a social service.” (140-141)

The early days of electricity put stress on policy, as there were different protocols regarding public and private use, in addition to direct vs alternating currents.

Do we in the 21st century still hold the notion that the more electric power there is over alternatives, such as oil & coal, the closer society will be to utopia? Are fully electric products still associated with wealth & status? (Think Tesla vehicles.) (–Nate Stringer)

In response to Nate, I also wonder at what point electric vehicles and alternatives like solar power and bicycling will stop being associated with status. When will the impoverished gain access to green initiatives? Will the US ever reach sustainability if the federal government doesn’t place its greatest emphasis on renewable resources for all? Edison and others had already believed electric vehicles were the next big step, but were squashed by the use of cheaper non-renewable resources like gas and oil. It seems now that electricity is contained to the systems that it already exists in, and will have a hard time branching out into other uses until the US switches priority. - Dillyn Scott

I found it interesting to read about Theodore Roosevelt's view on farming and electricity. When he found only 2% of American farms had electricity, he agreed they should be able to “have that power.” They need it for transportation, lighting, and most importantly, for the ability to perform on the farm. Why would the American government not want this to be a priority? It said event he European governments made this a key part in development. As the book states, “ American government only pointed to the problem and expected farmers to organize and secure electrical service for themselves.” (p.288) I know they found it “unrealistic”, but even if it wasn't, why would they assume the farmers, with such low numbers in the first place, were able to easily establish this? — Erika M