Hingham, MA was initially illuminated by numerous incandescent street lights using older Bernstein lightbulbs, fixtures and sockets. After some years they became problemsome. For an image of one of the town's early fixtures: [id=618531909]. Hingham's street lighting system originally operated from two street series loops with their origin and generation source near the town line in Weymouth, MA, owned by the Weymouth Light and Power Company. The town bought the customer base (58), street lights, wires, poles and everything else from them via a $18,000 bond in 1894. A program was initiated the early 1900s whereby the Hingham Light Commissioners decided these older lights should be modified by updated lamps and sockets. The improved fixtures as seen above had screw-in Edison base sockets and matching receptacles while retaining the same brackets and shades (all were repainted or repaired during the conversion process which was completed around 1908). This program improved series-circuit reliability and safety while renewing the bulbs since the "shorting" mechanisms within these sockets were tighter and easier to service. Wooden poles with spring-loaded socket "grips" allowed the street lamp servicer to grasp the porcelain plug-in socket using this device from standing on the ground, thus saving a climb up the pole and exposure to potentially hazardous series circuit voltages. The basic principle of these then-cutting-edge sockets and receptacles remained unchanged until recent years when series street lighting systems here in the US have become pretty much extinct owing to modern light sources for street lighting today.

This photo illustrates one of the street fixtures installed by the Hingham municipal utility. Click "Next" for an overall view of this fixture, the pole it was mounted upon and the surroundings.