
Facilitator of mood lighting, lengthener of bulbs’ lives, Lutron Electronics’ Caprí dimmer was a revelation for homeowners when it debuted in 1964. Its inventor, Lutron founder Joel Spira, recently donated the Caprí and other control systems and materials from the company’s 50-year history to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, where they will join the Electricity Collection. But these artifacts of lighting history will remain in the dark for now: The museum has no immediate plans to put any part of the Lutron materials on display.
americanhistory.si.edu