Tesla vs. Edison – fight!

“Westinghouse and Edison were not friends at all. You can see why as the girls wind coils for the Alternating Current Westinghouse adopted from Tesla instead of Edison’s pet Direct Current.” – Goldenthrush on YouTube

I admit this post isn’t about a Voltron-style battle between Edison and Tesla, though I certainly wish it were. The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was an industrial giant founded in 1886. The company made itself known by being the proprietors of the first patent for Nikola Tesla‘s alternating-current transmission. In 1904, 21 short films were made by the company to showcase its various technological advancements – girls winding armatures, coil winding machines, steam hammers, assembling and testing turbines, etc. Parts of these films have been edited together into an exceptionally inspiring clip and set to music. The rhythm of industry at its finest – a superb way to begin the week!

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/UXxfh2NrlcI" width="400" height="330" wmode="transparent" /]

19 Responses to “Tesla vs. Edison – fight!”

  1. Alice Says:

    Awww, no fight? It’s just as well; we all know that Tesla would win, anyway.

  2. Zoetica Says:

    So true.

  3. Mer Says:

    Tesla did win the fight. :) Yayz.

    Yes, this title is somewhat misleading…but I am VERY glad you didn’t include that horrifying clip of Topsy that always gets shown during discussions about the current wars. It’s one of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen.

    I love this offhand quote from Laurie Anderson in “Dance of Electrcity” about the battle between the two men:

    Tesla came over from Graz and went to work for Thomas Edison. Edison couldn’t stand Tesla for several reasons. One was that Tesla showed up for work every day in formal dress – morning coat, spats, top hat and gloves – and this just wasn’t the American Way at the time. Edison also hated Tesla because Tesla invented so many things while wearing these clothes.

    That’s our kind of genius!

  4. Zoetica Says:

    I know I know. But after watching the video and reading the accompanying commentary I was envisioning the epic battle between the two creators and this vision was so awesome that I dedicated the title to it. Viva Tesla!

    Oh and the Topsy clip – no, never. Too sad, even in the name of science.

  5. Damien Says:

    Been reading Tesla’s biography, lately… So inspiring and so incredibly sad :\

  6. semanticdrifter Says:

    If you are truly interested in watching Tesla and Edison go at it, with robot suits, lasers, and Chthulian creatures you should check out The Five Fists of Science comic written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Steven Sanders. From wikipedia:
    “Nikola Tesla and Mark Twain combine forces to try and bring about world peace through superior firepower. Twain and Tesla use scientific know-how, general trickery and media manipulation techniques to try to scare world leaders into following their noble path. In the company of several allies, the two are soon confronted by dark forces led by the dastardly Thomas Edison and John Pierpont Morgan. The inventor and the financier are collaborating on a bizarre new skyscraper, on whose building site many construction workers have already died in mysterious accidents.”

  7. Ben Morris Says:

    I really love this publicity photo of Tesla at his Colorado Springs laboratory. Its a multiple exposure and Tesla isn’t actually sitting there while the coil is discharging, but its really cool regardless.

  8. Skerror Says:

    @Mer…”Tesla came over from Graz and went to work for Thomas Edison. Edison couldn’t stand Tesla for several reasons. One was that Tesla showed up for work every day in formal dress – morning coat, spats, top hat and gloves – and this just wasn’t the American Way at the time. Edison also hated Tesla because Tesla invented so many things while wearing these clothes.”

    Haha…I love Tesla. You can see exactly where Edison’s animosity came from though. Tesla was like the kid that got all A pluses on his report card…then Edison gets straight A’s but his mom is still like, “Why can’t you be more like that Nikola Tesla.”

    @semanticdrifter…Tesla and Twain? Now that’s a brain trust I can get behind. That would make for an excellent twisted steampunk buddy comedy…

  9. Zoetica Says:

    Ben, that photo was my desktop for months.

    Semanticdrifter – that sounds fantastic. Are there special suits? I hope so.

  10. john colby Says:

    David Bowie played the best Tesla in ” the prestige”

  11. Zoetica Says:

    John, I thought Bowie played a fine..Bowie in that. He’s too distinguishable for his own good!

  12. Mer Says:

    WOOT.

    That Fraction fella is one bad ass mother…SHUT YOUR MOUTH. Ya’ll should read everything he does.

  13. semanticdrifter Says:

    There are special suits. Special robot suits.

  14. D Says:

    Beautiful images, the lighting for those pannings…

    Annoying guitar =)

  15. Zoetica Says:

    Skip to about 3 minutes in, andyou will see the Tesla-Edison fighting suits of ultimate destiny.

  16. Iconoclastic Says:

    Thank you, semanticdrifter! I need to get my hands on The Five Fists of Science. I am quite certain it would be a blast to read over and over and over.

  17. john colby Says:

    Zoetica, What did you think of Bowie’s Pontus Pilot in” the last Temptation of Christ ” ?

  18. Mer Says:

    Bowie was one sexy muhfuggin Pilate. Bowl cut and all.

    Re: Fraction’s comics. Get Five Fists of Science, and Casanova, too.

  19. Cherri Fritz Says:

    I don’t usuall post a reply but this is good work, keep it up Build Wind Generator.