Electricity for Common Use
The power of controlled electricity was first exhibited at the 1876 Philadelphia World’s Fair, but it didn’t catch on with the public. The Paris Exposition of 1889 introduced the world to more capabilities of electricity, but the public still didn’t really embrace it. Prior to the Columbian Exposition, Americans didn’t consider electricity to be very safe. Companies like Westinghouse and General Electric (who both fought hard to secure the Fair contract) saw the fair as an opportunity to show how electricity could safely illuminate streetlights and building interiors. At the climax of the Fair’s opening ceremony, former President Grover Cleveland pushed a button on stage in front of the grandiose Administration Building, turning on the dazzling electric lights for fairgoers. This light illuminated the buildings, paths, even a water fountain, and showed the practical use and potential of electricity.