Wiktor Wise
Street lighting has been essential for pedestrian and vehicle safety for thousands of years, with fire being the primary source of light for centuries. The earliest street lights in colonial America, for example, burned whale oil. The first electric street lights were introduced in the late 19th century, with the first permanent installation taking place in Wabash, Indiana, in 1880. This marked a significant shift towards electric street lighting, which soon spread to cities around the globe.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of invention | 30 May 1878 |
| Inventor | Pavel Yablochkov |
| First use | avenue de l'Opera and the Place de l'Étoile, around the Arc de Triomphe, Paris |
| Type of light | "electric candle", "Jablotchkoff candle", or "Yablochkov candle" |
| Power source | Electric |
| First US city to install electric street lights | Wabash, Indiana |
| Year of first installation in the US | 1880 |
| Number of electric street lights in the US by 1890 | 130,000 |
| First US city to demonstrate electric lighting successfully | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Year | 29 April 1879 |
| Inventor of street lighting system | Charles F. Brush |
| First city to install Brush's street lighting system | New York City |
| Number of arc lamps in New York City by 1886 | 30 miles worth |
| Number of electric street lights in New York City by 1893 | 1,535 |
| Number of incandescent filament lamps used in street lighting across the US by 1917 | 1,389,000 |
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What You'll Learn
- The first electric street lights were invented in the late 19th century
- Charles F. Brush invented the first street lighting system
- Arc lamps were the first type of electric street light
- Paris, Los Angeles, London and New York City were early adopters
- Street lights have improved safety for pedestrians and vehicles
The first electric street lights were invented in the late 19th century
The late 19th century saw several important advancements in electric street lighting. In 1875, Russian inventor Pavel Yablochkov developed the "electric candle" or "Yablochkov candle," which utilized an electric arc as its light source. This innovation paved the way for the first electric street lights. In 1878, Paris led the way in electric street lighting innovation by installing these "Yablochkov candles" on lamp posts, becoming the first city to do so. Within three years, thousands of these arc lamps illuminated the streets of Paris.
Another significant development occurred in 1879 when Charles F. Brush demonstrated his design for an electric light fixture in Cleveland, Ohio. Brush positioned 12 arc lamps in the city's public square, astonishing the thousands who gathered to witness the event. The following year, in 1880, Wabash, Indiana, became the first town in the world to be permanently lit by electricity using Brush's lighting system. This event marked a pivotal moment in the history of street lighting, as Wabash earned the distinction of being "the first town in the world generally lighted by electricity."
The late 19th century also witnessed the introduction of incandescent light bulbs for street lighting. In 1879, Joseph Swan's incandescent lamp illuminated Mosley Street in Newcastle, making it the first city street in the world to be lit by electric lighting. Thomas Edison's carbon-thread incandescent lamp, introduced the same year, became the preferred illumination source for electric street lamps. These advancements in electric street lighting continued into the 20th century, with intense competition among lighting providers and technological breakthroughs that perfected the use of tungsten filaments in 1907 and 1911.
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Charles F. Brush invented the first street lighting system
The history of street lighting in the United States is closely linked to the country's urbanization. Artificial illumination has stimulated commercial activity at night and has been tied to economic development, including major innovations in transportation, particularly the growth in automobile use.
Charles Francis Brush, an American engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, invented the first street lighting system. Brush was born in Euclid Township, Ohio, in 1849 and had an early interest in science. He built his first static electric machine at the age of 12 and constructed his first arc light in high school. After graduating from the University of Michigan, Brush worked as an iron ore salesman and experimented on an improved dynamo in his spare time. His dynamo was key to the development of a commercially viable lighting system and was widely used.
Brush perfected the system of electric arc lighting, making it practical for commercial use. He installed the first electric light system in the United States in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1879. Soon after its introduction in Cleveland, Brush's street lighting system was installed in New York City and London, and it quickly spread to other cities around the globe. The system provided higher-quality light at one-third the cost of gas lamps, making it highly sought-after.
In 1880, Brush conducted a demonstration in New York City, where he erected 23 arc lamps along Broadway. This led to him winning several city contracts, including lighting Union Square and Madison Square, where towers were erected for the arc lamps. By 1886, approximately 30 miles of thoroughfares in New York City were illuminated by arc lamps. The demand for Brush's street lighting system was evident, and it played a significant role in transforming urban spaces by providing efficient and cost-effective lighting solutions.
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Arc lamps were the first type of electric street light
In 1879, Charles F. Brush demonstrated his design for an electric light fixture intended to light the roadways in Cleveland, Ohio. He positioned 12 arc lamps in the city's public square, which attracted thousands of onlookers. In 1880, Wabash, Indiana became the first town in the world to be lit by electricity, using four 3,000-candlepower Brush lights. An eyewitness reported that they could read a newspaper from one street away. By 1886, approximately 30 miles of thoroughfares in New York City were lit by arc lamps.
Arc lamps had two major disadvantages. Firstly, they emit an intense and harsh light, which was useful in industrial sites but discomforting on city streets. Secondly, they are maintenance-intensive, as carbon electrodes burn away swiftly. With the development of cheap, reliable, and bright incandescent light bulbs at the end of the 19th century, arc lamps passed out of use for street lighting but remained in industrial use. Mosley Street in Newcastle was the first street lit by an incandescent lightbulb in 1879, making it the first city street in the world to be lit by electric lighting. By 1917, the number of incandescent filament lamps used in street lighting in the US had reached 1,389,000, while the number of arc lamps had started to decline.
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Paris, Los Angeles, London and New York City were early adopters
The world's first electric street light was installed in Wabash, Indiana, in 1880. Soon after, several cities around the world began adopting electric street lights. Paris, Los Angeles, London, and New York City were early adopters of this new technology, each with their own unique stories and contributions to the history of street lighting.
Paris, often referred to as the "City of Light", has a long history of street lighting. In the 17th century, Paris started lighting its streets with iron-framed glass boxes containing tallow candles, which were hung from ropes stretched across the streets. In the 1870s, Paris was one of the first cities to adopt electric street lights, known as "Yablochkov candles", named after their Russian inventor, Pavel Yablochkov. These electric arc lamps caused a sensation at the Paris Exposition of 1878 and marked a significant step forward in street lighting technology.
Los Angeles also played a role in the early adoption of electric street lights. In the late 19th century, the city began installing electric street lights, particularly in the downtown area. By the 1920s and 1930s, ornamental street lighting proliferated in Los Angeles, with cast-iron poles and globes adorning major streets, bridges, and neighbourhoods. The Bureau of Street Lighting, established in 1925, played a crucial role in maintaining and powering these street lights.
London, during the 18th and 19th centuries, had poorly lit streets, with gas lighting being demonstrated as early as 1807. However, it wasn't until the mid-19th century that gas street lighting became widely available, and even in the 1930s, almost half of London's street lamps still used gas. The transition to electric street lighting in London is not as well-documented, but it likely occurred around the same time as other major cities in the late 19th century.
New York City, similar to other cities, initially relied on gas lighting. In 1880, the Brush Electric Light and Power Co. installed the first electric street lighting on Broadway, marking a significant step forward. By 1893, New York City had 1,535 electric arc street lights. However, the transition from gas to electric lighting was gradual, taking several decades. Ornamental cast-iron posts with electrified lights were introduced on Fifth Avenue in 1892, but gas lighting remained popular in residential areas well into the 20th century.
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Street lights have improved safety for pedestrians and vehicles
Street lights have been in use since ancient times, with the Ancient Greeks and Romans using them for security and to aid navigation. However, it wasn't until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that electric street lights became widespread, with cities in the US and Europe installing them. Today, street lights play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of pedestrians and vehicles.
The impact of street lighting on safety is significant. Well-lit streets can prevent traffic accidents by improving visibility for drivers and pedestrians, especially at intersections and crossings. In fact, a New Zealand study found that adaptive street lighting can reduce fatal mid-block crashes by over 50%. Street lighting is especially important in areas with high levels of vehicle and pedestrian traffic, such as business districts and commercial thoroughfares, where the risk of accidents is higher.
In addition to accident prevention, street lights also help reduce crime. Several studies have found a link between improved street lighting and lower crime rates. For example, a 2025 study in Philadelphia showed a 15% decline in outdoor nighttime street crimes and a 2007 review by the US Department of Justice found a 21% decrease in crime in areas with better lighting. This effect was also observed in a 2022 study in New York City, where smart lighting upgrades led to a 60% reduction in serious nighttime crimes.
Street lighting also has economic benefits, stimulating commercial activity at night and contributing to a city's economic development. However, it can also be a significant expense for cities, with ongoing power costs and maintenance requirements. Despite these costs, the safety benefits of street lighting are clear, and federal funding is often available to support lighting upgrades and pedestrian safety improvements.
The design of street lighting systems is important to maximize their effectiveness. Different roads require different approaches, with highways needing long-range visibility and neighborhood streets requiring more targeted lighting at intersections. Smart lighting systems allow for customization of brightness and transitions between intersections and mid-blocks, ensuring visibility without over-lighting. Additionally, the spacing and height of street lights must be carefully considered to avoid negating the positive impacts of the lighting system.
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Frequently asked questions
The first electric street lights were installed in 1878 in Paris, France, on the avenue de l'Opera and the Place de l'Étoile, around the Arc de Triomphe.
The first electric street lights were invented by Russian Pavel Yablochkov in 1875. They were known as "Yablochkov candles" or "electric candles".
The first electric street lights used carbon arc lamps, which produced a very bright and harsh light.
Arc lamps had two major disadvantages. Firstly, they emitted a very intense and harsh light, which was uncomfortable for pedestrians and residents. Secondly, they required frequent maintenance as the carbon electrodes burned away quickly.
In the late 19th century, arc lamps were replaced by incandescent light bulbs, which were cheaper, brighter, and more reliable. The first street to be lit by an incandescent light bulb was Mosley Street in Newcastle, UK, on February 3, 1879.
