Name/Title
Electrical Coil Patent Exhibit – Court Evidence, 1899Description
This document is a lithograph depicting electrical coils, related to a lawsuit between the Thomson-Houston Electric Company and the Nassau Electric Railroad Company. In 1892, Thomson-Houston had merged with the Edison General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York, to form the General Electric Company. A penciled comment on this print, probably in Lewis Latimer’s handwriting, reads “Lithograph from drawing of LHL [Lewis H. Latimer].” As a technical specialist, draftsman, and patents expert for Edison, Latimer probably executed the drawing on General Electric’s behalf in this lawsuit. The diagram includes three labeled figures (Fig. 4, Fig. 5, and Fig. 6) that depict variations of a coil-based electrical component, possibly illustrating induction or electromagnetic properties. The red shading around the coils suggests magnetic field interactions.Type of Drawing
Lithographic PrintContext
The document is associated with a legal case between T. H. Electric Co. and Nassau Electric R.R. Co. The inscription at the top refers to it as a "Complainant's Exhibit" in a legal dispute. The date Feb. 21, 1899, suggests this was part of a patent case or industrial competition regarding electrical technology. Given Lewis H. Latimer’s known expertise in electrical innovation and patent documentation, this may have been part of an effort to protect or challenge a particular invention.Collection
Latimer Family Papers (1870-1996 ) [QPL Full Collection]Inscription/Signature/Marks
Transcription
Printed text:
U.S.C. Ct.
E.D. of N.Y.
T. H. Electric Co. vs Nassau Elec. R. R. Co.
Figures labeled: Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 6
Handwritten annotations:
"Complainant’s Exhibit"
"Bentley Figures 1-6. B.C.D. Elec. Dec. Feb. 21, 1899."
"Lithograph from drawing by L. H. L."