1 10 22 https://www.electrifying.collopy.net/files/original/0ca5d460d4c269e91198b099cac28464.jpg f01c0eb9a1e204c7720c8670dd979a55 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Diagrammatic Elevation Profile Map of Big Creek Subject The topic of the resource Engineering, Map Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bishop, G. Haven Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Huntington Digital Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource undated, probably around 1920s Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photo of a Map Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Inspired and motivated by the droughts of southern California and the need for clean energy in the early 20th century, the Big Creek Hydroelectric Project was ambitious, as it cleverly utilizes the drastic drop in elevation to lead the water from Sierra-Nevada mountain towards southern California basin. This archived item is from the Huntington Digital Library, a photograph that shows a hand drawn map that describes such change in elevation as a part of the design of the system. Perhaps dated before the completion of Big Creek Powerhouse 3 in 1923, the map is a schematic plan before the construction, as shown in the title of a similar map: “Big Creek Project as envisaged in 1920” (Jackson 82). Although it was common for American engineering maps in the 1920s to be hand-drawn, the majority still aimed to remain relatively close to scale and provide geographic directions, such as the map celebrating the opening of a California highway (Roth 546). Differently, this item does not show geographical clarity or have a sense of direction. The “x-axis” is unclear, as is the placement of the Big Creek Powerhouses. Instead it is more of a scientific / engineering graph that focuses on the change of elevation versus the relative location of numerous Powerhouses and lakes around, where the “y-axis” shows elevation scale. It also has a blend of artistic besides the scientific rigorous, through the intricate hand drawn symbols for the Powerhouses. Even within the series of Big Creek Hydroelectric Project maps, it is still unique in this item for the artistic depiction of the Powerhouses symbols, which perhaps is the unknown map maker’s spontaneous subject of interest. Bishop, G. Haven. Big Creek General - Diagrammatic elevation profile map of Big Creek. The Huntington Digital Library. https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p16003coll2/id/36923/rec/17 Jackson, Donald C. Building the Ultimate Dam: John S. Eastman and the Control of Water in the West. University Press of Kansas, 1995, pp.59-83. Roth, Matthew W. Mulholland Highway and the Engineering Culture of Los Angeles in the 1920s. Technology and Culture, vol. 40, no.3, 1999, pp.545-575. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25147359 https://www.electrifying.collopy.net/files/original/1f1855d45fefe4a3e7fe329183db4dda.png ca1808c2c932df42efd3f0a5d6c50e1e Physical Object An inanimate, three-dimensional object or substance. Note that digital representations of, or surrogates for, these objects should use Moving Image, Still Image, Text or one of the other types. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Map of the Campus of California Institute of Technology in the 1943-1944 Yearbook Description An account of the resource This hand-drawn engineering map, later reprinted in the 1943-1944 yearbook, depicts the Caltech campus during that academic year. Compared with the 1926 campus map, it still focuses on the southern portion of campus, but it includes significantly more buildings with names that remain familiar today, with the buildings not as rectangular symbols, but actual aerial view architecture. Interestingly, many of the “temporary buildings” mentioned earlier in the 1923 Caltech Catalogue, such as the powerplant, had changed location by the time of the 1943 - 1944 map (Catalogue 44). One interesting detail mentioned in the 1923 catalogue is the department of military engineering. It may have been the precursor to the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory at Caltech (GALCIT), or "Guggenheim Aero Lab” on this map. Established in 1928, GALCIT later received U.S. federal support for rocket science research (“Caltech History”). In 1943, “the Army Air Force asked GALCIT to study the possible use of rockets to propel long-range missiles as well as develop missiles for field use” (“Caltech History”). Bulletin of the California Institute of Technology Catalogue. Published by the Institute, vol. 32, no. 101, Dec. 1923. “Caltech History - 14 Facts About Caltech History” Archives & Special Collections, Caltech Library. https://library.caltech.edu/archives/about/caltech-history “Campus of California Institute of Technology” Caltech. 1943-1944. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1943-1944 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Paper Printed Map Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Caltech Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Caltech https://www.electrifying.collopy.net/files/original/947e61bb260f90d023a22952dda48932.mp4 8160204cb4e9a0bfb1a2af7651e2436a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Celebrating 125 Years Description An account of the resource A promotional DVD to celebrate 125 years since the founding of Southern California Edison Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Southern California Edison Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Southern California Edison Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource DVD Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound From power produced by falling water to the power of the wind, Edison International has found new technologies and innovative solutions for the ever-changing needs of our customers for 125 years from the start. I'm here at the site of one of our company's earliest power plants, built in 1892 in San Antonio Canyon, which provided electricity to customers in Pomona. It's impressive for a company, any company, to survive and prosper for over a century, but perseverance itself means nothing without a greater vision. Our customers and stakeholders might be impressed with our rich history, but what they really want to know is what are we doing for them now. Of course, we couldn't be successful without standing on the shoulders of those who came before us. From the start, July 4th, 1886, when the company predecessors first illuminated the streets of Visalia in central California with electric lights just in time for their town celebration. To our newest wind farm here in Cedro Hill, Texas, Edison International employees earn the trust of our customers every day, providing safe, reliable, and affordable electric service. We're currently under construction of the Tehachui Renewable Transmission Project. I'm here at Wind Hub Substation, the first transmission substation in the nation designed specifically to bring wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources to the customers in the Los Angeles area. Wind complete, the lines will almost be 250 miles long. Most people aren't aware that the key technology has given us the ability to push power more than a few miles. It was developed by an Edison employee, engineer Orville Ensign. Back in 1898, Los Angeles was growing faster than the company's ability to keep up with power demands. East of L.A., near Redlands, California, a group of investors built one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in the state, Santa Ana River Powerhouse No. 1. 3,000 kilowatts of power relieved the supply problems, and it was 83 miles from Santa Ana River No. 1 to Los Angeles. It was by far the longest transmission line in the world. The weak link in transmission with electrical power during the latter part of the 1800s was due to the original glass insulators, which were used those days very similar to what was installed on the telegraph lines. But as transmission lines increased in length, the stress on the insulators due to a heavier and larger conductor caused the insulators to frequently break. Therefore a new material as well as new designs were required. O.H. Ensign, an engineer from the Southern California Edison Company, came to the rescue and designed a prototype insulator made from porcelain which had double the strength of regular glass insulators and that was put into production. Using those Redlands Pedicode Insulators, we set the record for transmission distance with the Santa Ana line, 83 miles and 33,000 volts. You can see the descendants of that design on any transmission tower, including the Tehachapi line. We've been breaking records from the start and we're still at it, but we just don't transmit electricity. We make it in innovative ways too. From the start, Edison was first to connect solar and wind power generators to the commercial power grid. Solar One, the nation's first commercial solar thermal power plant, was constructed in 1979 in the desert near Barstow, California. A few years ago, our engineers came up with a novel approach. What if we built solar facilities in population centers? You wouldn't need transmission lines, but where could we find enough open space to build? The Inland Empire, where we're building a square mile of solar panels on these commercial roofs. The power goes right into the distribution grid to serve customers. When we ordered all those PV panels, it drove down the cost of the technology, making it cheaper for anybody wanting to go solar, including homeowners. But not every place gets as much sun as we get here. So, Edison now has 30 wind energy projects in 11 states, like this one in Cedar Hill, Texas. 100 turbines produce enough power to meet the needs of 40,000 homes. Nationwide, Edison International meets the needs of millions, and there are many more projects on the way. At the turn of the last century, company pioneers like John Eastwood recognized the potential of the watersheds of the high Sierras. The Big Creek project was an immense undertaking, the largest construction project in the nation at the time, rivaling the building of the Panama Canal. Hundreds of miles away from Big Creek, Henry Huntington was linking communities with comfort, speed, and safety. Huntington, who would become a member of the company's board of directors, developed rail travel throughout Southern California, from San Bernardino to Santa Monica, all while using power supplied from the hardest working water in the world, from hundreds of miles away at Big Creek. Huntington's venerable red cars of the 20th century were truly innovative. Today, we are at the forefront of the development of infrastructure to support the future of the electric transportation of our time. The electric car is finally here, and we're improving our system to handle the demand, with better air quality as the result. But we've been focused on air quality since the late 1940s. When the aircraft and manufacturing built up in Los Angeles during the Second World War helped us win. But air quality suffered. From the start, and even before the word smog had been invented, Edison was the first utility in the nation to voluntarily begin smoke abatement and air pollution controls at its plants in the L.A. Basin. Not satisfied with the anti-pollution control technology available, the company engaged Dr. Hagan Schmitt, a Caltech expert, to conduct a full-scale research program into smog abatement. Again, the first of its kind in the industry. With assistance from Edison engineers, Hagan Schmitt developed pollution control technologies that became industry standard nationwide, including the catalytic converter, and used today in the automotive industry. And today, we're still innovating in emission controls. At Edison Mission Group, we've seen explosive growth in our wind energy portfolio in recent years. But coal continues to provide a significant part of the nation's electric energy as we transition to more renewables. So to bridge that gap, we've made emission controls a primary focus. We pioneered the development and use of activated carbon injection to remove mercury from our six coal plants in Illinois. And we're one of the first companies in the country to install this technology, which we did at our plants in the city of Chicago. We have now refined the process to deliver over a 90% reduction in mercury emissions. But the cleanest kilowatt is the one that isn't used. Back in the 70s, Edison became the first major utility in the nation to voluntarily discontinue all promotional advertising and replace it with conservation messages. The Make Every Kilowatt Count campaign stunned the industry but was essential due to shortages caused by the 1973 oil embargo. SCE is the national leader in energy efficiency programs. In the past five years alone, SCE customers have saved 7.8 billion kilowatt hours. That's enough energy to power 1.2 million average homes for a year. And with smart meters and smarter grid infrastructure now being installed, customers will save energy and money more conveniently than ever before. This is an exciting time to be in the electricity business. Huge changes in technology and public policy are reshaping the landscape. At Edison International, we work around the clock, around the country, to lead the way in our industry. People depend on us to power their lives and we make it happen every day. In fact, we've been doing it for 125 years. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data DVD; standard size Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 9 minutes 39 seconds Compression Type/rate of compression for moving image file (i.e. MPEG-4) MPEG-4 Producer Name (or names) of the person who produced the video Edison International Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Celebrating 125 Years (1886-2011) Description An account of the resource This DVD was produced By Southern California Edison, a consolidation of Henry Huntington’s power generation interests formed in 1917, detailing their history. It emphasizes their roots as a supplier business for Huntington’s famed “Red Cars,” and describes Big Creek and its engineering marvels, in addition to detailing several of SCE’s current initiatives. Importantly, at ~05:10, the video refers to Henry Huntington and his use of the electricity from Big Creek to power his interurban electric railroad. This video refers to connecting Southern California with his Red Cars and emphasizes the technical challenges of this endeavor. However, this perspective ignores some of the serious setbacks in the company’s history; Huntington had to significantly scale back his plans to build a true rail conglomerate, give up his interurban ambitions, and axe his power-generation ambitions to gain control of the Los Angeles Railway “Yellow Car” system (Jackson 1995). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Edison International Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Edison International Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011 2011-09-08 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource DVD https://www.electrifying.collopy.net/files/original/b9d31c9accaffa6077f4ab4c155f129d.jpg 911fc00ada1afbfba375088417e5d3e5 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 8" × 10" Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource High Voltage Research Laboratory Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource G. Haven Bishop Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Southern California Edison Photographs, Huntington Library Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1929-01-14 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://catalog.huntington.org/record=b1868904 Description An account of the resource In 1923, Caltech and the Southern California Edison Company built the High Voltage Research Laboratory, the first university laboratory in the world to feature a million volt transformer. The building, sometimes called High Volts, was only the sixth building on Caltech’s new campus, so it was surrounded more by trees and lawns than by other laboratories. For its time, High Volts was an unusual partnership between a corporation, which supplied electricity and paid most of the $140,000 construction cost, and a university, which provided land. High Volts was architecturally bold: Internally, it was a single large room which held the massive transformer and other electrical apparatus. Edison engineers designed a steel frame, the second constructed in Pasadena. Architect Bertram Goodhue designed the exterior, which used a diamond pattern to provide texture in the absence of windows. Architectural sculptor Lee Lawrie produced a relief over the entry which represented the electrical research performed within. Brought together by members of Caltech’s board of trustees who also served on Edison’s board of directors, the two organizations would share the facility: Edison needed a laboratory in which to test high voltage electrical transmission equipment, including insulators and transmission lines which were later used to transmit electricity to Southern California from the Hoover Dam in Nevada. Caltech physicists, led by Robert Millikan, sought to use high voltage electricity to dismantle the nucleus of the atom. Millikan and his colleagues were not immediately successful in this effort, but in the late 1920s Charles Lauritsen and Ralph Bennett did use the High Volts transformer as a power supply to the world’s first 750,000 volt x-ray tube. A few years later, his student H. Richard Crane modified his own x-ray tube into a particle accelerator, and Caltech physicists joined the founders of the new field of nuclear physics. https://www.electrifying.collopy.net/files/original/d46db4bd49f23d9b1f1a7d5dc666548d.jpg 8f100984c41b166477f5dd08a1699da0 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Nitrate negative Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource A 220 kV Rack at Eagle Rock Substation Description An account of the resource Eagle Rock Substation was a result of the work that the High Voltage Laboratory at Caltech performed on transmission lines. Without the work of High Volts, the LA metropolitan area would be unable to grow electrically. Eagle Rock serves as the ending point of the Big Creek project, bringing hydroelectric power to the LA community. (Water and Power Associates). Eagle Rock Substation has also served its cultural purpose as a location for the filming site of many movies, including Oscar-winning movie "The Artist" (Milbourn). Now, while Eagle Rock grew to power LA's ever-growing electric demands, the High Voltage Laboratory pivoted away from high-voltage transmission lines. This move away from connecting renewable energy opened space for High Volts to become a growing nuclear research leader prior to World War II. Works Cited <div> Milbourn, Mary Ann. “Lights, Camera, Edison!” Energized by Edison, 24 Feb. 2016, energized.edison.com/stories/lights-camera-edison. </div> <div> Water and Power Associates. waterandpower.org/Museum2/Eagle_Rock.html. </div> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource G. Haven Bishop (Southern California Edison Company) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, Huntington Digital Library. Call Number: photCL SCE 02 - 24225 [Accessed March 17, 2026: <a href="https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p16003coll2/id/35165/">https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p16003coll2/id/35165/</a>] Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Huntington Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Circa 1920s Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Nitrate negative https://www.electrifying.collopy.net/files/original/7c0c4cf631e1d1c1fd25e0f4541f3312.pdf 0d6f8de6d4571699e0bb5457578d1245 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Investigation of Transformer Burn Outs at Kern Substation Description An account of the resource This report describes Professor Sorensen’s experiments on the Kern substation, owned by Pacific Light and Power (PL&P). Sorensen was a Consulting Engineer for PL&P from 1913 to 1917, where he performed troubleshooting experiments at PL&P facilities (“Orange and White”). In 1913, Sorensen was asked to fix the transformer burn outs at Kern substation. Sorensen hypothesized that the cause was the contamination of the oil in the transformer. He based this hypothesis on previous lab experience. As he states in the report, in 1907, he dealt with “transformer trouble” caused by the “notion of sulphur in the oil.” To test this hypothesis, Sorensen chemically confirmed the presence of sulfur. Sorensen also saw this experiment as an opportunity to apply Caltech’s oscillograph (or oscilloscope, in today’s terms) to confirm that no other factors were causing the burn outs. This report demonstrates the importance of Caltech’s technical expertise and equipment to LA’s electrical infrastructure. Without Sorensen’s previous experience, it would have been difficult for PL&P’s engineers to immediately identify the issue. Sorensen’s particular contribution to commercial power transmission was acknowledged in Caltech’s 1920 yearbook, where students credited him with having “designed and installed all the large electrical machinery in California” (“Orange and White”). The impact of Caltech’s EE department as a whole was confirmed by an oral interview in 1978 with Professor William Pickering, a former professor in Electrical Engineering, who stated that the department “had done some very useful work in helping the Edison Company develop the first long-distance transmission lines” from Fresno down to Los Angeles (William Hayward). In Pickering’s words, it was this initial work that eventually helped Sorensen and Caltech obtain Edison’s support in building the High Voltage Laboratory (William Hayward). Sources: “Orange and White : A History of the California Institute of Technology, 1919-1920.” Big T [Pasadena, CA], Caltech Student Yearbook, nos. 1919–1920, 1920,<a href="https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechCampusPubs:20110726-143937916"> https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechCampusPubs:20110726-143937916</a>. William Hayward. “William Hayward Pickering Oral History Interview.” 7 Nov. 1978, Caltech Archives. Transcript. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Royal W. Sorensen Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Caltech Archives, Royal W. Sorensen Papers Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1913-02-28 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Written Report Type The nature or genre of the resource Technical Report https://www.electrifying.collopy.net/files/original/4b500d859e635257c13a2d8f7551ba31.pdf 40c68c30137d45eb9696d03b6104dbec Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Typewritten and Signed Contract Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource High Voltage Laboratory Lease Between Southern California Edison and Caltech Description An account of the resource This lease contract between SCE and Caltech describes the terms for the High Voltage Lab, which marks the most direct collaboration between Caltech and industry since Caltech’s founding. SCE provided $105,000 to build the million volt transformer, while Caltech provided $34,915 to cover additional costs (D. M. Trott). SCE funded the High Voltage Lab so that they could complete the technical research needed to raise transmission to 220,000 volts (J. L. Heilbron and Robert W. Seidel). The lease states that Caltech “will make available to the Company…the advice and learning of the staff of the Institute” (Southern California Edison and Caltech). As a result, Caltech personnel often helped SCE personnel (Frederick Lindvall). The lease also dictates that research produced at High Volts and profit from patents were “the property jointly” of Caltech and SCE (Edison and Caltech). For example, when Sorensen and Millikan patented their vacuum switch, the patent was jointly sold by Caltech and Edison to General Electric for $100,000 in 1930, which almost repaid the cost of the lab (Heilbron and Seidel). Though the lease guaranteed SCE 25 years in the laboratory, their involvement decreased as they completed their research (Edison and Caltech, Lindvall). Caltech continued to use High Volts for physics research until it was renovated in 1960, solidifying a successful chapter of Caltech’s collaboration with industry. Sources: D. M. Trott. “High Voltage Laboratory Audit Bill.” Audit Bill. Pasadena, CA, 7 Oct. 1924, Caltech Archives, Arthur Fleming Papers, High Voltage Laboratory Building 1924, Box 1, Folder 16. Frederick Lindvall. “Frederick C. Lindvall Oral History Interview.” 17 Nov. 1978, Caltech Archives. Transcript. J. L. Heilbron and Robert W. Seidel. Lawrence and His Laboratory. University of California Press, 1989, http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/ft5s200764/. A History of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Southern California Edison and Caltech. “High Voltage Laboratory Lease.” Lease Contract. 23 Jan. 1923, Caltech Archives, Arthur Fleming Papers, High Voltage Laboratory Building 1924, Box 1, Folder 16. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Southern California Edison and the California Institute of Technology Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Caltech Archives, Arthur Fleming Papers Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-01-23 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Typewritten Document https://www.electrifying.collopy.net/files/original/1a0fa729c431043b97234cb4b9c1e353.jpg 9c362fd86ee75e8b35fa502953a66b7f Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Drawing Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 8 x10 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Birdseye View Plan of 18 Powerhouses at Big Creek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Southern California Edison Company Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived The Huntington Digital Library https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p16003coll2/id/5451/rec/1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph of drawing Description An account of the resource Starting in October 1900, John Eastwood was set on creating a power plant in the upper San Joaquin River and created Mammoth Power Company (Jackson 60). By early 1902, Eastwood decided to expand his previous design to include a network of power plants rather than a singular one. Eventually, Eastwood managed to cooperate with the Pacific Light and Power Company (PL&P) to build dams and power plants at Big Creek. This image showcases a design of 18 powerhouses to be built at Big Creek. Although it is only known that this image came from the Southern California Edison Photographs and Negatives, it is very likely that Eastwood was the creator as “Eastwood envisioned 18 powerhouses, [though] only half were built” (Johnson). As Johnson mentions, only half of the original 18 planned were built, but Eastwood was gradually removed from the building process as he fell out of favor with the upper management of PL&P (Jackson 78). Currently, the Big Creek Hydroelectric “system consists of nine major powerhouses, six major reservoirs, numerous dams and small diversions, various water conveyance facilities, access roads, electrical transmission lines, and other appurtenant facilities” (California Water Boards). Though it may not be as impressive as the system that Eastwood had designed in this image, it remains a crucial power source and a key player in the development of electricity in Los Angeles. Works Cited: Jackson, Donald C. Building the Ultimate Dam: John S. Eastwood and the Control of Water in the West. University Press of Kansas, 1995. Big Creek Hydroelectric System | California State Water Resources Control Board. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/water_quality_cert/big_creek/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026. Johnson, John. “Lights Dim in an Edison Company Town.” Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2000, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-21-mn-7792-story.html. https://www.electrifying.collopy.net/files/original/0a11e27420576278743746f7e09f710b.jpg 08a2bf8a2574514c61f308227674a7b4 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photo in a Book Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 6" by 8" Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Construction of Dam 3 at Big Creek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Southern California Edison Company Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Caltech Archives https://collections.archives.caltech.edu/repositories/2/accessions/837 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1914 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph in a Book https://www.electrifying.collopy.net/files/original/692bcca032432c735b053aa0bad70ebe.jpg 29b7499fcf300c3e171124641840534b Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Eagle Rock Substation Looking North Description An account of the resource The Eagle Rock Substation was the endpoint of the transmission lines stretching from the Big Creek to Los Angeles, initially spanning 240 miles and operating at 150,000 volts (Cox and Michener, 1). Construction started in February 1913, and this photo was taken in August 1913, when construction was partially complete. The transmission lines became fully operational in December 1913, supplying Los Angeles with 60,000 kilowatts of electricity, or 20% of the city’s electricity (Fredericks, 350). Though 85% electricity went to running Pacific Light & Power’s (PL&P) street railroads, the rest was sold to business and residents (Friedricks, 351). As early as the 1910s, Caltech was already involved in the issue of electricity transmission to Los Angeles, via Professor Royal W. Sorensen, who served as a Consulting Engineer for PL&P from 1913 to 1917 (“Orange and White”). Part of his work as Consulting Engineer involved conducting experiments on PL&P infrastructure, such as the resistance of water jets at Eagle Rock (Royal W. Sorensen). Sorensen’s connection to Eagle Rock extended beyond his official role as Consulting Engineer. In April 1920, Sorensen led a field trip of senior Electrical Engineering students to the substation (“Orange and White”). As reported in the Orange and White book of 1919-1920 (Caltech’s student yearbook at the time), “Mr. Sorensen had done considerable work in the station and on the Big Creek transmission and was therefore able to accurately explain many details of the equipment,” further verifying Sorensen’s extensive work on transmission (“Orange and White”). Sources: <div class="csl-bib-body"> <div class="csl-entry">Cox, H H, and H Michener. GENERATOR EXCITATION PRACTISE IN THE HYDROELECTRIC PLANTS OF THE SOUTH- ERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY.</div> </div> Friedricks, William B. “A Metropolitan Entrepreneur Par Excellence: Henry E. Huntington and the Growth of Southern California, 1898-1927.” The Business History Review, vol. 63, no. 2, 1989, pp. 329–55. JSTOR,<a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/3115699"> https://doi.org/10.2307/3115699</a>. “Orange and White : A History of the California Institute of Technology, 1919-1920.” Big T [Pasadena, CA], Caltech Student Yearbook, nos. 1919–1920, 1920,<a href="https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechCampusPubs:20110726-143937916"> https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechCampusPubs:20110726-143937916</a>. Royal W. Sorensen. “Water Jets: Eagle Rock Substation, Undated.” circa 1913, Caltech Archives, Royal W. Sorensen Papers, Box 1, Folder 2. Woodbury, Edward. “150,000-Volt Transmission System.” Transactions of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, XXXIII, no. 2, June 1914, pp. 1283–98. IEEE Xplore,<a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/T-AIEE.1914.4765183"> https://doi.org/10.1109/T-AIEE.1914.4765183</a>. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Stone & Webster Inc. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Southern California Edison Photographs, Huntington Library https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p16003coll2/id/59565 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1913-09 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Photograph Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p16003coll2/id/59648 See P119