THE RECORD
What changed
Edison's teams developed filaments, meters, wiring and generators, opening Pearl Street station in 1882.
EVIDENCE
What remains
Lamps, patents, station plans and billing records reveal electricity as a system.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
It altered factory, street and domestic time and created vast energy infrastructure.
OPEN QUESTION
Where interpretation begins
Edison did not invent the lamp alone; many inventors and workers contributed, with coal's environmental cost.