The Time Travelers Historical Theatrical Group
&
The Bundy Museum Presents
The War of the Currents
About the event:
On the evening of Thursday, August 24th the Bundy Museum will offer a unique glimpse into what has become known as the War of the Currents. Members of the local historical theatrical group Time Travelers will share the story of the war thru the eyes of two of its primary visionaries, Nicola Tesla and George Westinghouse Jr.
We will be joined by both Mr. Tesla and Mr. Westinghouse to hear some of their stories and the vision that each man had for the future. It should be a most enlightening experience.
Hosted by The Time Travelers Historical Theatrical Group
Time Travelers is a group of historians, naturalists, actors, researchers, and historical clothing creators. The team has been bringing the Past to Life at area museums and historical groups and they are bringing their unique presentations to the Bundy.
Where: The Bundy Museum Annex Theater (behind the Bundy Museum/129 Main St., Binghamton, NY)
When: Thursday, August 24th, 2023
start time is 7:00 pmAdmission is free
An all-ages event
* masks are recommended
The War of the Currents
As the 1800s ended there was a kind of war raging here in the United States. It was not a war for land but one of ideas. It was one being fought by inventors and engineers. On one side stood those who believed that Direct Current was the best way to bring light to the people. The Direct Current enthusiasts included the infamous Mr. Edison. On the other side were a few who fend that Multiphase was the key to bringing power to everyone in an economical way. Here in America, the Multiphase team were following the leadership of Nicola Tesla and George Westinghouse Jr. This war may not be as remembered as some but in many ways, its outcome would determine how the future would look.
Nicola Tesla is a name that has become better known over the last few years. In a large part much of today’s electronic age emerged from the genius of Mr. Tesla. He worked for a time with Mr. Edison on electrical generators but became frustrated with Edison’s unwillingness to acknowledge the limits of Direct Current. Tesla understood that Edison’s system would require a power plant every mile since after that distance the loss of power made it impossible to use. Tesla had a different idea, one that Edison was unwilling to explore.
While Mr. Tesla was working on the generation of electricity, Mr. Westinghouse was coming to the challenge from a different perspective. He had developed the railroad air brakes that were destined to save countless lives. Westinghouse also developed a system of railroad signals and switches which relied on steam power. Westinghouse knew that there had to be a better way and he had his engineers explore the use of electricity to improve the operations. Due to the remote locations of the switches, Westinghouse soon came to the realization that the limits from Direct Current would prove to be an impossible obstacle and that a more reliable alternative needed to be developed.
A chance meeting with one of the Westinghouse engineers led to a meeting between Mr. Tesla and Westinghouse and from that meeting a friendship of mutual respect emerged and the future of electrical generating was to be forever changed.
The change did not come quickly and there were many, including Edison and JPMorgan, who stood in the way of the Tesla/Westinghouse vision. Through the many challenges and setbacks ahead, these two men and the engineers, workmen and individuals who worked with them would stand firm and keep to their vision of providing power to everyone.
The Bundy Museum of History & Art
129 Main St. Binghamton, NY 13905