Victorian Light Bulb Facts

On 27 january 1880 edison was granted a patent for his electric light bulb.

Victorian light bulb facts. If the current was strong enough the filament glowed white hot. This rudimentary bulb consisted of a piece of carbon that glowed when wires were connected from it to an electric battery. Edison light bulbs retroactively referred to as antique light bulbs and vintage light bulbs refer to carbon or early tungsten filament light bulbs or modern bulbs reproducing their appearance most of these bulbs are reproductions of the wound filament bulbs made popular by edison electric light company at the turn of the 20th century. Early light bulbs were available in a wide variety of shapes and patterns often highly ornamented but as the novelty value wore off and the short life span of the bulb was recognised attention turned back to the shade and the fittings.

This lamp in the science museum collection was made one year after joseph swan s original 1878 1879 electric light bulb. The light bulb or edison filament lamp as it was known has one loop of carbon filament which glows when a current of electricity passes through it. His version was an air tight glass case containing a looped wire called a filament which was connected to a flow of electricity known as a current. Thomas edison born in milan ohio february 11 1847 thomas alva edison credited his mother for the success of his ever inquisitive mind once saying my mother was the making of me.

They are easily identified by the long and complicated. This was more than 75 years prior to thomas edison s introduction of the. The light bulb had enormous novelty value and the earliest fittings displayed the bulb quite prominently. A smaller light was needed and in 1880 thomas edison patented the first commercially viable incandescent light bulb.