Edison and Swan Electric Light Company Edison and Swan Electric Light Company The Edison and Swan Electric Light Company Limited was a manufacturer of incandescent lamp bulbs and other electrical goods. It was formed in 1883 with the name Edison & Swan United Electric Light Company with the merger of the Swan United Electric Company and the Edison Electric Light Company. Thomas Edison established the Edison Electric Light Company in 1878. Joseph Swan established the Swan United Electric Light Company in 1881. In 1882 the American Edison Company of Thomas Edison sued Swan, claiming infringement of Edison's U.S. patent of 1879; however, they never made it
John White Howell on display at the Edison exhibit of the General Electric Company were displayed two of the "tar putty" carbon filament lamps made by John W. Howell for the 1890 trial, as well as the tools used by Howell to make said lamps. Seven of Mr. Howell's hand-made 1890 patent trial "tar putty" lamps survive today in a collection of rare, historic lamps discovered in 2004. In 1893 Mr. Howell was appointed chief engineer of the Edison Lamp Works of the General Electric Company, which had taken over the Edison lamp works, holding that position until his retirement in 1931. From