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October 23, 2017miSci’s Newest Exhibit Chronicles 125 Years of Innovation at GE and Shows Visitors a Glimpse “Inside Edison’s House of Magic”
2017 marks the 125th anniversary year of the General Electric Company, now GE, and miSci has mounted an exhibit to showcase the incredible history of one the world’s foremost companies. From its beginnings with Thomas Alva Edison and the company’s formation, through the genesis of the electrical industry, into the era of Charles Steinmetz, to the formation of GE Global Research, the evolution of household appliances and electronics, forays into power generation and transportation innovation, right through to the “digital industrial” era of today – this exhibit showcases the minds, makers and marketing that established the company as global leader.
“Inside Edison’s House of Magic” shows how GE helped change the world – by developing products and processes that enabled society to communicate instantly, transport things faster than ever before, diagnose illness and injury, and build machines that could generate more electricity at a lower cost,” says miSci Vice President of Collections & Exhibitions Chris Hunter. “The electronic and digital ages would not have come to be without the innovations visitors will see in this exhibit.”
Drawing on miSci’s extensive collection and archive of items related to the history of GE, the exhibit features photos, artifacts, and artwork from throughout the company’s 125-year history. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the board room table at which Thomas Alva Edison held meetings, original inventions and documents of the pioneering scientists of GE including Edison and Steinmetz; dynamos, phonographs and other early recording devices; photos and paintings of the inventors and workers who built GE; and advertising ephemera and iterations of household appliances that were presented during GE Global Research’s “House of Magic” campaign.
“The exhibit name came from GE’s “House of Magic” campaign of the 1930’s,” said miSci President, Dr. William Sudduth. “GE created a STEM roadshow to introduce the public and consumers to a variety of GE inventions. It was part of a popular tradition of science and technology demonstrations created for public awareness that remains popular today. GE’s ‘House of Magic’ was an innovative marketing concept at the time, not unlike today’s tech expos or Apple Keynotes, that gave GE a leading presence at world’s fairs and other major public events and positioned them as a pioneering company.”
Just like the “House of Magic” shows of the past, miSci continues the tradition by conducting STEM demonstrations onsite in the exhibit gallery’s Science Zone, and through outreach to libraries, community events, schools, and youth serving organizations. miSci’s fun and dramatic demonstrations will include activities like an electricity show with static electric generators and a Tesla Coil.
“Inside Edison’s House of Magic” also features six interactives that relate to electricity, magnetism and power generation, and Mr. Hunter plans to add a circuit workbench, transformer, blow out your toaster, and DC motor generator during the run of the exhibit. In addition to hands-on elements that demonstrate the scientific principles behind many of GE’s inventions, the exhibit includes audio and video recordings and thought-starters about how GE has impacted and continues to influence a variety of inventors and industries. miSci will also be inviting current and former GE employees to contribute to this dynamic exhibition of the company through digital and social media.
This GE retrospective is the first of many innovative exhibits that miSci will design, produce and present internally. Along with annual changing exhibits, miSci’s future vision includes producing interactive exhibits to subsequently rent or replicate for other science centers. miSci’s “Inside Edison’s House of Magic: 125 Years of Innovation at GE” exhibit opens Saturday, October 21, 2017 and will close May 6, 2018, and GE employees will enjoy a complimentary visit during its run.
miSci is located at 15 Nott Terrace Heights in Schenectady. General Admission is: Children (3-12) $7.50; Seniors (65+) $9; Adults $10.50. General admission includes access to all exhibits including Inside Edison’s House of Magic: 125 Years of Innovation at GE. Admission to the Suits-Bueche Planetarium is $5 per show. Learn more at www.miSci.org.
