Item no. P863 (cover)

Type: cover

Country: USA

Date of use: 2 December 1922

Business stationery (cover) used by the company GENERAL SUPPLY AND REPAIR Co. in Portland (Oregon, USA). The cachet shows mechanism of a high intensity carbon arc lamp. The arc light, practically the first electric light, was invented by Cornish chemist and inventor Humphry Davy [1778 – 1829] in early 1800. Since 1870s it was widely used for streets and large building lighting, and also in photography as a light source for magic lanterns (later in cinema projectors) and enlargers, especially for large format prints.