Former type Limited company Successor Siemens Ediswan Headquarters London Founded 1883 | Industry Electric industry Defunct 1964 Founder Joseph Swan Ceased operations 1964 | |
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Fate Merged to British Lighting Industries Ltd. Predecessor Edison & Swan United Electric Light Company Parent organization Associated Electrical Industries | ||
The Edison and Swan Electric Light Company Limited was an English manufacturer of incandescent lamp bulbs and other electrical goods. It was formed in 1883 with the name Edison & Swan United Electric Light Company with the merger of the Swan United Electric Company and the Edison Electric Light Company.
Joseph Swan had established the Swan United Electric Light Company in the early 1880s to market the incandescent lamp bulb he had invented. In 1882 the British Edison Company of Thomas Edison sued Swan, claiming infringement of Edison's U.S. patent of 1879; however, the lawyers became aware that Swan would be able demonstrate prior research and publication, and instead negotiated a merger with Swan's company. The lamp bulbs manufactured by the company were almost entirely to Swan's design. From 1887 or earlier Sir Ambrose Fleming was an adviser to the company, and conducted research at Ponders End.
The company had offices at 155 Charing Cross Road, London, and factories in Brimsdown, Ponders End and Sunderland. In 1928, the company was acquired by Associated Electrical Industries. In 1956, a new cathode ray tube plant was opened in Sunderland. The company was renamed Siemens Ediswan following the takeover of Siemens Brothers by AEI in 1957. In 1964, AEI merged its lamp and radio valve manufacturing interests with those of Thorn Electrical Industries to form British Lighting Industries Ltd.
Ediswan Valves
Edison Swan (or later Siemens Edison Swan) produced a wide range of vacuum tubes and cathode ray tubes under the names "Ediswan" or "Mazda" and the 1964 Mazda Valve Data Book claimed: "Professor Sir. Ambrose Fleming... was Technical Consultant to the Edison Swan Company at the time. It was this close co-operation between University and Factory which resulted in the first radio valve in the world."