More practical, the famous magician J.E. Robert-Houdin invented a "lighter alarm clock" (réveil-briquet) in 1837 that sold pretty well and made him rich and all

More practical, the famous magician J.E. Robert-Houdin invented a "lighter alarm clock" (réveil-briquet) in 1837 that sold pretty well and made him rich and allowed him to develop his "magical" tricks (many based upon electricity: he had an electric door bell and an automatic front porch in the 1860). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvyvZHf6hZQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvyvZHf6hZQ