Heinrich Gbel

Vocation

Notable

German precision mechanic and inventor. Goebel did his training as a watch maker. After he became independent, he worked for the polytechnic institute in Hanover, the technical university. The young Goebel was already making galvanic batteries, tinkering with electrical apparatus and even built a mercury barometer. He had the idea of having an electric source of light in a compressed space of air well before his 30th birthday in Germany. This achievement did not earn him enough money to support his wife and children. In 1848, Goebel set off for America. Goebel opened up a shop selling optical instruments on Monroe street in New York, which was situated in a poor area. He had this business for more than 20 years without ever getting wealthy. As soon as he had any money he would put it towards his inventions. There was a lot of excitement and attention when, a few years after his arrival in New York, Heinrich Goebel attached an arc shaped lamp on the roof of his house which was powered by a battery produced from zinc and carbon elements. Goebel was arrested when his neighbors informed the police. The judges verdict was that he was not to get up to any of this mischief in the future. In 1854 his experiment became a reality and the electric bulb gave light to mankind for the first time in history. He produced the first lamps from glass and Eau de Cologne bottles. He was able to produce a strong light ray with the installation of carbonised bamboo fibres. These lamps reached a life span of up to 400 hours. Goebel did not receive any material results from this achievement and was struggling financially. He built a telescope on the back of a wagon that was nearly 6 meters. On clear, starry nights, and for a small fee, the people of New York were able to look up at the night sky. He brought attention to this telescope by attaching a number of lamps to it. He had a battery under the coachman’s seat and was able to turn the lamps on and off. This electric light did cause a lot of people to stop and look at it but it’s further success was limited and it wasn’t a revolutionary invention. Goebel died on 4 December 1893 because of pneumonia. Link to Wikipedia biography