Electric Generations

The story of electricity in the Irish home

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Marian Thérese (via Twitter)

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Dr Ciara Meehan

“Can’t wait for this exhibition in dlr LexIcon in October/November”.

Electric Generations at the University of Hertfordshire

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Electric Generations shows how the reception and understanding of electricity by different generations varied across the twentieth century, reflecting the shift from an unfamiliar power to a fundamental feature of everyday life.

The exhibition begins by exploring how people initially feared that this new power could be harnessed to cause harm to neighbours and enemies. The next section focuses on the campaign for popular acceptance of domestic electricity. The final section illustrates how the electrical home was marketed as desirable and empowering for women. This story of the electrical transformation of Ireland is illustrated through inter-generational responses and the experiences of the diaspora in Britain, offering visitors an insight into the similarities and differences in the timelines of electric innovations and consumption in both countries.

The exhibition features previously unseen material from ESB’s Archives and the Institution of Engineering and Technology archive.

Electric Generations is generously funded by the University of Hertfordshire, with additional financial support from dlr LexIcon.

Images, unless otherwise stated, are courtesy of ESB Archives.

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Electric Generations at the University of Hertfordshire

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