Probably the most festive patent we have in our collection is from Edward A. Uehling, Stevens class of 1877, who on December 25, 1894, patented a design for Christmas tree lights! Electric Christmas tree lights had already been invented by Edward Johnson, under Thomas Edison's supervision, and had been introduced to the U.S. market in 1890. But these lights were very expensive and most families were unable to afford the extravagant purchase. Even the White House didn't start to use electric Christmas tree lights until 1895. Edward Uehling's invention were marketed as a safer and more affordable method to lighting Christmas without the use of candles, which were the cause of many house fires during the holiday season.
The custom of lighting Christmas trees with candles started in the 17th Century and originated in Germany. Uehling himself came from a family of German immigrants and was a model student during his time at Stevens. So much so that Dr. Robert Thurston, the esteemed Mechanical Engineering Professor, hand-selected him to help with experimental work in the Mechanical Laboratory after graduation. Dr. Henry Morton, the first President of Stevens, also maintained contact with Uehling via handwritten letters. In their correspondence, Morton was eager to keep up with young Uehling’s successful career which yielded a number of inventions and innovations in the field of engineering, including pig-iron molding, a flexible land-roller, gas seals for blast furnaces, a calorimeter for measuring heat in chemical reactions, and many others.
Dr. Morton and Uehling remained great friends, and you can read through their correspondence with one another here in the archives. You can also read Uehling's autobiography in which he waxes poetic on why men should have a beard. ; ) Learn more about Edward Uehling and Stevens history by making an appointment to visit the archives. https://library.stevens.edu/archives
Happy Holidays!!
