Crompton direct current generator, Science Museum, 2001.

Crompton direct current generator, made 1888-1889, on display in June 2001 in the 'Making the Modern World' gallery at the Science Museum, London. The number of tramways, factories workshops and homes using electricity rose steadily from the 1890s. When electricity was introduced, most factories generated their own direct current. This generator was used at Nostell Colliery in Yorkshire, probably for underground lighting and in pithead buildings. It produced about 220 amps at 130 volts and could power about 200 incandescent lamps.