Above: Steinmetz assists Union College students with electrical engineering problems. Right: in honor of his contributions, the college named its electrical engineering building Steinmetz Hall.
In his Wendell Avenue conservatory Steinmetz experimented with the effects of lighting and synthetic fertilizers on the growth of plants. He also used his greenhouse for raising orchids (above) and cacti.
Another of Steinmetz's distinguished visitors was Albert Einstein who came to Schenectedy in 1921. It was in that year Einstein received the Nobel Prize in physics.
In his scientific laboratory, built and stocked by GE adjacent to his Wendell Avenue home, Steinmetz studied such problems as the chemistry of electrical insulating materials and arc lights. This included experiments with the magnetite arc lamp, and in 1902, he arranged a demonstration on Wendell Avenue. It was a huge success and soon cities across the country were adopting his new lighting system.
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