Thomas Edison
The Early Origins of Lionel Model Trains
Born to a Jewish immigrant family in 1877, Joshua Lionel Cowen would go on become the founder of Lionel Trains. He came to America, landing in New York with his family just after the Civil War. It was in the midst of major changes in the world, namely the industrial revolution that Lionel Cowen began his life in America. Edison had just created the electric light and trains signaled the progress of change. The west and east were finally connected in America via the Central and Union Pacific railroads, this led to a sense of expansion, optimism and exciting possibilities for some. Given the context of his formative years during the westward expansion and the industrial revolution, it’s quite fitting that Cowen would grow up to build and invent. As a college drop out, he had been quite productive, being credited around the turn of the century with some notable inventions, including the flashlight, and a patent for a device used to ignite the photographic flash of a camera.
It is said that before the age of ten, he made his first working toy train. One of his earliest creations was a small actual working steam engine carved out of wood. Unfortunately, his parents kitchen was damaged when the steam exploded the engine. Even with this early set-back, his creativity was not quenched and went on to found the Lionel Corporation in 1900. By this time, passenger travel was at a height and many saw it as classy and sophisticated. People of all ages were fascinated by this new technology.
The first successful Lionel train was the Electric Express. Ironically this train was not designed to be a toy or something for hobbyist. Its intended purpose was that of a store display gimmick. The success of this gondola train displaying items as it went around a circular track in the store window took an unexpected direction. No one paid any attention to the contents of the display train, instead the electric train itself generated all the interest and many request to purchase it. Lionel Cowen made a smart decision after seeing this and brought Lionel Corporation around to focus on model trains that remain popular to this day.
Thomas Edison
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The Legend of the Frankenstein Monster [VHS] $1.98 Part One: The birth of the Frankenstein Legend is examined in this fascinating tribute to Mary Shelley’s Monster. The Legend of the Frankenstein Monster is followed throughout the decades – from its literary beginnings in 1816, to its earliest adaptations for film, radio and even television. It contains never-before-released film footage from Thomas Edison’s original Frankenstein (1910), as wel… |
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