Mercury-Arc Rectifier

Last day working in the Isle of Man. This is a portrait of Craig Denning the Manx Electric Railway Sub Station Attendant (and "general dogs body") taken in Laxey today.

Craig is one of a team of 'Wiremen' who look after the wonderfully named and eccentric Mercury-Arc Rectifier invented in 1902 (This particular version was installed in 1935, but is still fully working today). The device consists of a pool of mercury sitting in two glass bulb expansion chambers. When they are subjected to a transformed input of AC current, they create a chemical reaction of light and vapour cloud, which converts power to a DC current. As one of the electric trams approch nearer, the rectifier glows and glimmers more brightly and sparks begin to fly.

Craig mentioned an old colleague, Stan Cannal, who used to regularly polish the Rectifier with Brasso, and treated them like the crown jewels. He also mentioned two original 'spare bulbs' still in their original packing cases and stored in a warehouse in Douglas.

I found a video of the Rectifier on Youtube. It is such a beautiful spectacle, but sadly it is soon to be replaced with the equivalent modern technology that is the size of a small box. It reminds me of something out of Danny Boyle's theatre production of Frankenstein that I saw a few weeks back.

The arts project I am working on hopes to perhaps utilise it in some way in the future.