The History and Design of New York City Streetlights, Past and Present

Streetlights. They may seem commonplace, repetitive, simple structures seen spaced along every street. They may seem mundane, more remarkable in their absence than in their presence. But have you ever stopped to think about where they came from and what life must have been like before them? Has it ever occurred to you what a massive undertaking it must have been to go from no streetlights whatsoever to their present ubiquity?

Robert Mulero is obsessed with streetlights, specifically those in New York City, the metropolis where streetlights, first gas and then electric, rose to prominence before spreading to every corner of the United States. The history contained in this book is two-fold. First, you will learn of the rise and evolution of public electricity in the United States, with the spread of street lighting at its center. Second, you’ll receive a crash-course in the history of streetlight design, complete with historical photos and sketches. By the end, you’ll never look at that simple streetlight in front of your house the same way again.