Umair Gaines
The electric light bulb is considered one of the most important inventions in human history, with profound impacts on work, travel, socialising, and marketing. While Thomas Edison is often credited with its invention, the story of the lightbulb began long before Edison. This article will explore the history of the lightbulb, the key figures involved in its development, and the companies that brought it to market.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Inventor of the lightbulb | Thomas Edison |
| Date of patent | 27 January 1880 |
| Other inventors | Alessandro Volta, William David Coolidge, Peter Cooper Hewitt, Joseph Swan |
| Company | Edison-Swan United |
| Lamp type | Incandescent |
| Filament material | Platinum, carbon, tungsten |
| Lamp shape | Glass vacuum bulb |
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What You'll Learn
Thomas Edison's 1879 patent
While Thomas Edison is often credited as the inventor of the lightbulb, the technology was developed by several inventors. Edison patented the first commercially successful bulb in 1879. This patent, filed on November 4, 1879, was for an improvement in electric lamps and described a lighting-giving body made of carbon.
Edison's lightbulb featured a platinum filament in a glass vacuum bulb. This design was demonstrated in December 1879 in Menlo Park, New Jersey. The glass vacuum bulb was an important innovation, as it meant the lamp required only a small electric current to make it glow.
Before Edison's patent, several other inventors had made breakthroughs in lighting technology. In 1800, Italian inventor Alessandro Volta developed the first practical method of generating electricity with the voltaic pile, an early manifestation of incandescent lighting. In the early 1900s, Peter Cooper Hewitt created a blue-green light by passing an electric current through mercury vapour, which was another precursor to the fluorescent lamp.
Edison's lightbulb patent was not without competition. Another inventor, Swan, incorporated Edison's improvement into his own lightbulbs and founded an electrical lighting company in England. Edison sued for patent infringement, but Swan's patent was a strong claim in the UK. The two inventors eventually joined forces and formed Edison-Swan United, a major manufacturer of lightbulbs.
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The light bulb's impact on society
The light bulb is considered one of the most important inventions since fire, and its impact on society has been profound. Thomas Edison is often credited with the invention of the lightbulb, but it was a series of small improvements on the ideas of previous inventors that led to the light bulbs we use today.
The light bulb revolutionized human society and spurred further advancements. One of its most notable impacts was the extension of the workday into the night, increasing productivity and spurring industrial advancements. The additional hours also gave workers more time to complete tasks. The light bulb also helped to establish social order after sundown, allowing people to navigate and travel safely in the dark, and leading to the development of nightlife.
The light bulb also made for a safer home environment, reducing hazards and emissions from previous light sources such as candles and oil-based lamps, which were dangerous fire hazards. The light bulb also led to energy-efficient lighting tactics and major changes within the Industrial Revolution. It changed the way buildings were designed and jumpstarted new businesses.
The light bulb also led to new energy breakthroughs, from power plants and electric transmission lines to home appliances and electric motors. It inspired inventors to create new, revolutionary products, leading to further adaptations of light products, such as LED bulbs and lighting. The light bulb also made it possible for electric radios, televisions, and eventually video game systems to enter the home.
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The Edison-Swan United company
Although Thomas Edison is often credited as the inventor of the lightbulb, the story of its invention involves several inventors. One of these was Joseph Swan, an English physicist, chemist, and inventor, who is known for his work in developing a successful incandescent lightbulb. Swan founded the Swan United Electric Light Company in 1881 and began commercial production, supplying about 1200 incandescent lamps to power the Savoy Theatre in London, making it the first public building in the world lit entirely by electricity.
In 1883, Swan's company merged with the Edison Electric Light Company, founded by Thomas Edison in 1878, to form the Edison-Swan United Electric Light Company, more commonly known as "Ediswan". The merger was negotiated to avoid uncertain and expensive litigation, as both inventors had sued each other for patent infringement. The new company became one of the world's largest manufacturers of lightbulbs, selling lamps made with a cellulose filament invented by Swan in 1881, while the Edison Company continued using bamboo filaments outside of Britain.
The Edison-Swan company produced a wide range of vacuum tubes and cathode ray tubes under the names "Ediswan" or "Mazda". In 1928, the company was acquired by Associated Electrical Industries, and it was renamed Siemens Ediswan following the takeover of Siemens Brothers by AEI in 1957. In 1964, AEI merged its lamp and radio valve manufacturing interests with Thorn Electrical Industries to form British Lighting Industries Ltd.
Today, Ediswan still survives as a manufacturer of valves, located in Bromsgrove, England, with a history that spans over a century, continuing the legacy of the pioneering work of Joseph Swan and Thomas Edison in the field of electric lighting.
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The first visible-spectrum LED
In 1968, the first commercial LED lamps were introduced: Hewlett-Packard's LED display and Monsanto Company's LED indicator lamp. However, early LED lamps were inefficient and could only display deep red colours, making them unsuitable for general lighting.
In 1972, Dr. M. George Craford, a former student of LED pioneer Holonyak, created the first yellow LED. He also increased the brightness of red and yellow-red LEDs tenfold.
LEDs are now widely used in a variety of applications, including flashlights, solar-powered garden or walkway lights, bicycle lights, and automotive lamps. They are also used in traffic signal lamps and holiday lights. The ability to emit bright light in the required colour is essential for these uses.
LEDs have several advantages over incandescent and fluorescent lamps. They are more energy-efficient, with a luminous efficacy of up to 210 lm/W as of 2021, and have a longer lifetime, typically 6,000-15,000 hours.
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The 1970s oil crisis and fluorescent lighting
The electric light bulb was brought to market by Edison-Swan United, following Thomas Edison's patenting of the first commercially successful bulb in 1879. However, several inventors contributed to the development of the light bulb before Edison, including Italian inventor Alessandro Volta, who developed the first practical method of generating electricity in 1800.
The 1973 oil crisis caused lighting engineers to develop a fluorescent bulb that could be used in residential applications to lower utility costs for homeowners. This event pushed the US lighting industry to develop energy-saving lamps and designs, leading to federal mandates for lighting efficiency standards.
In 1974, researchers at Sylvania began investigating how to miniaturize the ballast and tuck it into the lamp. They developed a patent for their bulb but could not find a way to produce it feasibly. Two years later, in 1976, Edward Hammer at General Electric created the first compact fluorescent light (CFL) by bending the fluorescent tube into a spiral shape. However, like Sylvania, General Electric shelved the design due to the high cost of the new machinery required for mass production.
In 1979, Phillips invented the first electronic ballast for a CFL, which moderated the light bulb turning on and off properly. By 1982, Phillips had made fluorescent lights more attractive by adding rare earth phosphors, which emitted a warmer light and increased light output. CFLs eventually hit the mass market in the late 1980s, with prices ranging from $25-35.
Since the 1990s, significant improvements have been made to CFL performance, price, efficiency, and lifetime, making them a popular option for both renters and homeowners. Today, CFLs and their variants are found in most homes, offering a variety of natural, pleasing tints and energy-saving capabilities.
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Frequently asked questions
While Thomas Edison is often credited as the inventor of the light bulb, several inventors contributed to its development.
Edison-Swan United, a company formed by Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan, became one of the world's largest manufacturers of lightbulbs.
Edison-Swan United was formed after 1881 when Joseph Swan established the Swan Electric Light Company.
Edison-Swan United brought an incandescent lamp to market, which was an improvement on the light bulbs of Joseph Swan.
Edison's light bulb was inexpensive and practical, and it could be used for domestic lighting.
