Boston Vicinity, 1908. Arc Street Light on Bracket of Unusual Design on Wood Pole.

By Joe Maurath, Jr.; posted May 16, 2020

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Another unusual feature is the fact this fixture was internally wired. Practically all other arc light street lamps were externally wired, typically because of the inherently high voltages that can occur within series street lighting loops while still energized when there was a break somewhere in the line. Either this fixture operated at a much lower voltage or the wiring into the fixture's metal pipe had extraordinarily thick insulation.

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