Science and Industry collection

Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums have collections which celebrate the region's vibrant history of innovation, enterprise and achievement and includes several world 'firsts'.

For example, the invention of the light bulb by Joseph Swan is marked at Discovery Museum by a collection of historic electric lamps.

The National Register of Archives contains information on the nature and location of manuscripts and historical records that relate to British history.

Swan, Sir Joseph Wilson (1829-1914) Knight Chemist and Electrical Inventor

Mawson Swan and Morgan: records in the National Archives

Ediswan light bulb still glowing in Heysham after 130 years (BBC: 2013)

One of the First Electric Light Bulbs (BBC: A History of the World)

Solving the energy dilemma (Newcastle University: 2014)