Edwin T. Holmes
Encyclopedia
Edwin Holmes was an American
businessman who is credited with commercializing the electromagnetic burglar alarm
and with establishing the first burglar alarm networks.
to Sally Graves and Thomas Holmes. His father was from New Hampshire where he served as the town postmaster. Edwin started his business in 1849 in Boston, as a seller of household items and entrepreneur, and acquired skills which later helped him in establishing the burglar alarm industry.
Russell Pope (1819–1858) of Somerville, Massachusetts. Edwin Holmes acquired the Pope's patent rights in 1857 for US$1500 and manufactured the device in his factory in Boston, Massachusetts. He began to sell them in 1858. His son Edwin Thomas Holmes took over his father's company after his death and documented the events in his biography, A Wonderful Fifty Years.
Initially, people were skeptical about using electricity for alarms, and the business did not go well. Therefore, in 1859, in search of a new and bigger market Homes moved his business to New York, which was then perceived as a place where "all the country's burglars made their home". There, by 1866 he installed 1200 home alarms and began successful marketing among business enterprises. By 1877, he established the first network of alarms monitored by a central station in New York and sent his son to copy this system and Boston. Edwin Thomas, however, discovered that the network could use the pre-existing phone cables instead of laying its own. In this way, he quickly assembled a 700-alarm network, which his father then copied in New York.
In 1878, Holmes the president of the newly established Bell Phone Company. While he sold his interests two years later for US$100,000, he kept his rights to use the company phone lines for his alarm system. The use of electricity for street light
s in 1880 changed the market, as people started accepting electrical models. The American Telephone and Telegraph Company bought the Holmes Burglar business in 1905, linking it to emergency call systems for contacting police and fire fighting personnel. After World War II, many inventions were introduced into the business of home alarm systems. It became less expensive and more versatile for use in the 1980s and by the middle of the 1990s the system had become a standard feature. In the most advanced examples of anti-burglary systems, motion detectors, surveillance equipments and electronic tracking devices are being used.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman who is credited with commercializing the electromagnetic burglar alarm
Burglar alarm
Burglar , alarms are systems designed to detect unauthorized entry into a building or area. They consist of an array of sensors, a control panel and alerting system, and interconnections...
and with establishing the first burglar alarm networks.
Biography
Holmes was born in West Boylston, MassachusettsWest Boylston, Massachusetts
-Library:The West Boylston public library was established in 1878. In fiscal year 2008, the town of West Boylston spent 1.6% of its budget on its public library—some $37 per person.-External links:******...
to Sally Graves and Thomas Holmes. His father was from New Hampshire where he served as the town postmaster. Edwin started his business in 1849 in Boston, as a seller of household items and entrepreneur, and acquired skills which later helped him in establishing the burglar alarm industry.
Burglar alarm
The alarm was patented in 1853 by the Reverend AugustusRussell Pope (1819–1858) of Somerville, Massachusetts. Edwin Holmes acquired the Pope's patent rights in 1857 for US$1500 and manufactured the device in his factory in Boston, Massachusetts. He began to sell them in 1858. His son Edwin Thomas Holmes took over his father's company after his death and documented the events in his biography, A Wonderful Fifty Years.
Initially, people were skeptical about using electricity for alarms, and the business did not go well. Therefore, in 1859, in search of a new and bigger market Homes moved his business to New York, which was then perceived as a place where "all the country's burglars made their home". There, by 1866 he installed 1200 home alarms and began successful marketing among business enterprises. By 1877, he established the first network of alarms monitored by a central station in New York and sent his son to copy this system and Boston. Edwin Thomas, however, discovered that the network could use the pre-existing phone cables instead of laying its own. In this way, he quickly assembled a 700-alarm network, which his father then copied in New York.
In 1878, Holmes the president of the newly established Bell Phone Company. While he sold his interests two years later for US$100,000, he kept his rights to use the company phone lines for his alarm system. The use of electricity for street light
Street light
A street light, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road or walkway, which is turned on or lit at a certain time every night. Modern lamps may also have light-sensitive photocells to turn them on at dusk, off at dawn, or activate...
s in 1880 changed the market, as people started accepting electrical models. The American Telephone and Telegraph Company bought the Holmes Burglar business in 1905, linking it to emergency call systems for contacting police and fire fighting personnel. After World War II, many inventions were introduced into the business of home alarm systems. It became less expensive and more versatile for use in the 1980s and by the middle of the 1990s the system had become a standard feature. In the most advanced examples of anti-burglary systems, motion detectors, surveillance equipments and electronic tracking devices are being used.