Henry Leroy Transtrom

Who was Henry Leroy Transtrom?

Henry Leroy Transtrom was an American inventor and showman who worked with high voltage electricity. His book, Electricity at High Pressures and Frequencies, is still used as a guide for constructing homemade Tesla coils.

Transtrom was best known for his dramatic performances which made use of electricity. For his "Lightning Man" demonstrations, he stood on a large Tesla coil which made sparks come out from his outstretched fingertips.

There is a long standing rumour that says "Transtrom was electrocuted during one of his demonstrations when one of these long sparks reached the primary coil of the device, thus coupling and drawing enough current to kill him. He became one of only three people to have been killed by a Tesla coil."

There is no direct reference for where this rumour originated and it was just assumed to be true for a long time. Recently an email surfaced from a Timara Zizzo claiming to be Mr. Transtroms Great Grandchild which said that the above story is nothing but an urban legend. The email said that Mr. Transtrom died from leukemia in the presence of his daughter at his bedside.