Accession No
4581
Brief Description
8 light bulbs and one filament broken out of its bulb
Origin
Maker
Siemens Maxtrip Kye Robertson Tiger Lamps
Class
optical; electrical
Earliest Date
1920
Latest Date
1940
Inscription Date
Material
metal (brass); glass; plastic
Dimensions
volume occupied: length 280mm; breadth 180mm; height 75mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Transferred from the Department of Physiology, University of Cambridge, on 23/01/1997.
Inscription
6 inscribed with makers name and specifications (see description notes)
Description Notes
4581 2 unmarked bayonet bulbs
4581.1 Bayonet bulb in box, by Tiger Lamps
4581.2 2 bayonet bulbs by Siemens, marked ‘CARBON HEATER’
4581.3 Bayonet candle bulb by Robertson, inscripton very faint
4581.4 Bayonet bulb by Kye
4581.5 8 inch strip bulb by Maxtrip
4581.6 Plate and coil filament with glass bulb broken away and wires in place of bayonet fitting.
References
Events
Description
These electric light bulbs from the early 20th century are very unremarkable. We’re not even sure why they’re in our collection. But at the same time, they are completely astonishing. For most of history, people relied on the sun, moon and fire for light. The first experiments with electric light happened around 1800. It took a century of innovation and competition to develop incandescent light bulbs like these.
An electric current heats the filament in the centre of the bulb until it glows. The glass bulb contains a vacuum or an inert gas to prevent the filament from oxidising and going dark.
How would you feel about the dark if you couldn't turn the lights on?
22/07/2024
Created by: Hannah Price on 22/07/2024
FM:40287
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