Albon Man

Albon Man (June 29, 1826 – February 18, 1905) was an American lawyer, scientist, and inventor who was associated with the early technology of the incandescent light bulb. He worked with William Edward Sawyer to develop inventions. He was a scientist and came up with ideas for potential inventions that would be useful for commercial products. Sawyer then worked out the mechanics of Man's ideas to make a workable product. Many of these then were patented by them, including the electric light system, which is the cornerstone of modern methods of electrical distribution.

Man had a law office in New York City. He spent a lot of time litigating against others to defend his patents. There were many legal suits that Man filed against Thomas Edison for infringing on his patents, especially the incandescent lamp. The final ruling held that Man and Sawyer had perfected the lamp over a year earlier than Edison. Man was known worldwide as an authority on the principles of electricity and was a friend of Nikola Tesla.

Man was born in Westville, New York on June 29, 1826, to Ebenezer Man and an unknown mother. He attended high school in Fort Covington, New York and Malone, New York, and took college preparatory courses. Man entered Union College in Schenectady, New York, in 1845, taking literary and scientific courses. Man graduated in 1849, receiving an honorary degree as a Doctor of Philosophy in July 1892 from the same college.

Man was taught law by his uncle, Hugh McCulloch, who lived in New York City. He was admitted to the bar of New York City in February, 1852, and soon after partnered with his uncle. He returned to Malone in 1853 due to his father's illness. There he established his own law practice and was employed as an engineer with the Northern New York Railroad. He was also a surveyor at the time. Man was elected district attorney of Franklin County, New York, in 1859.

Man enlisted as a volunteer in the 98th New York Infantry Regiment unit of the Union Army in 1861 during the American Civil War and became a major. He participated in the battles of Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Fair Oaks. His health deteriorated due to exposure to the elements during the war and he was forced to resign from the military. He then returned to his home in Franklin County, where he continued as the district attorney. In 1863, Man went to Washington as chief of the Division of Organization in the office of the Controller of the Currency, afterward serving under Hugh McCulloch of the United States Treasury Department. In 1866 he became treasurer and general manager of the National Bank Note Company of New York City. Resuming the practice of law in 1871, he became general manager and agent of the Lorillard estates of New York City and stayed in that position until 1883.

In 1878, Man became involved with William E. Sawyer in electrical inventions. He would come up with ideas and Sawyer would work out how to implement them. One of their inventions was the incandescent bulb (later known as the Sawyer-Man lamp), which was the first practical electric light bulb. The lamp consisted of a carbon filament in a vacuum. It was first demonstrated to the public by the Electro-Dynamic Light Company in New York City on October 29th, 1878. The newly invented electric lamp was touted as being able to save people a considerable amount of money over the gas lamps then used. A large New England mill ordered 200 of the Sawyer-Man bulbs that were estimated to cost $10 a year in electricity usage, whereas their current gas lamp system cost $4,000 a year for gas. Another invention Man made with Sawyer was a measurer of the amount of electricity consumed.

Man, with Sawyer, Hugh McCulloch, William Hercules Hays, James P. Kernochan, Lawrence Meyers, and Jacob Hays formed the Electro-Dynamic Light Company of New York in July 1878. This was the first electric-lighting company formally formed. Man and Sawyer devised the first practical system of incandescent lighting with their related patents. He then became interested in other electrical devices, of which the patent innovations were needed by the public.

In patent number 205,305, Sawyer and Man arranged electric light bulbs in parallel with the electric generator {"j") and in combination with each other, which may be regarded as the cornerstone of modern methods of electrical distribution through main feeder lines ("k"). This is the regulation of the production of electricity at its source so as to supply the exact quantity needed for the number of light bulbs to light up at any one time. It follows that when the incandescent lights ("Q") are arranged in a series-parallel fashion, if the proper quantity of electricity is supplied it will distribute itself equally among the total number of electrical light bulbs and therefore a constant illumination will be maintained in every part of the system of branch lines ("n" & "p").

Man had a law office in the Morris Building on Broad Street in New York City. In the early 1880s, Man spent most of his time on lawsuits related to defending his patents on electrical distribution and electric lighting. The patent rights to the incandescent lamp were finally settled against Edison and for Sawyer's invention with Man. By 1885, all appeals had been dismissed and Edison's claims were disallowed by the Secretary of the Interior and the Commissioner of Patents. The final ruling held that Sawyer and Man had perfected their invention in March 1878, while Edison had not finished his until October 1879.

Man died of a paralytic stroke on February 18, 1905. He was buried at Morningside Cemetery in Malone. His obituary mentions that he conceived and created the hydroelectric power plant at Massena, New York. He was known throughout the scientific world as an authority on the principles of electricity and was a friend of Nikola Tesla.

• Carnegie, Andrew (15 May 2004). Success and How to Attain It. Cosimo, Inc. ISBN 978-1-59605-010-5. In 1878 he united with the late William E. Sawyer in producing what is believed to have been the first practical system of incandescent electric lighting....The first electric-lighting company ever organized, the Electro-Dynamic Light Company, was formed by Messrs. Sawyer and Man in 1878.
• Hood, Bill. Reflections of Peace, Serenity and Tranquility. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-329-58321-4.
• Pope, Franklin Leonard (1894). Evolution on the Electric Incandescent Lamp. Boschen & Wefer.
• Seaver, Frederick J. (1918). Franklin County. J.B.Lyon Company, Printers.
• World_XLV (1905). Electrical World. McGraw-Hill.