In 1853 he demonstrated the ability of electro-magnetic generators to provide continuous current to power arc lighting and in 1856 patented a magneto to power an arc light for lighthouses which he demonstrated to Michael Faraday at Blackwall in 1857.[4][5]
His experiments with alternating current arc lighting at South Foreland Lighthouse in 1857-60[6] were the subject of a lecture by Michael Faraday at the Royal Institution.[7] One of Holmes' generators built in 1867 and used at Souter Lighthouse is displayed at the Science Museum, London.[8]
He obtained "letters patent" for the invention of "improvements in machines known under the name of magneto-electric machines"[9] and "provisional [patent] protection" for "improvements in apparatus for the production of electric light",[10] and "improvements in fog signals, suitable for lighthouses and lightships."[11]
