Molly Ayala
The history of electric lighting is a long and fascinating one, with the first constant electric light demonstrated as early as 1835. Over the next few decades, scientists around the world raced to develop the incandescent lamp, tinkering with the filament and the bulb's atmosphere. This eventually led to the creation of the first practical incandescent electric lamp by Thomas Edison in 1879. However, it's important to note that electric lighting is far older, with early forms of electric lights demonstrated by Humphry Davy in the 1800s and French inventor de La Rue creating a successful incandescent lamp using platinum in 1820. The development of electric lighting continued with the introduction of fluorescent bulbs and LEDs, leading to the phase-out of incandescent light bulbs in the 21st century due to their higher energy efficiency and longer lifespans.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of first constant electric light demonstration | 1835 |
| Inventor of first constant electric light | Humphry Davy |
| Inventor of first incandescent lamp | French inventor de La Rue |
| Year of invention of first incandescent lamp | 1802 |
| Material used in the first incandescent lamp | Platinum strip |
| Year of invention of first arc light | Early 1800s |
| Inventor of the first arc light | Humphry Davy |
| Year of first large-scale application of arc lamps | 1878 |
| Location of the first large-scale application of arc lamps | Paris |
| Inventor of the first successful electric lamp | Thomas Alva Edison |
| Year of invention of the first successful electric lamp | 1879 |
| Inventor of the first practical LED | Shuji Nakamura |
| Year of invention of the first practical LED | 1994 |
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What You'll Learn
Early electric lighting systems
The first constant electric light was demonstrated in 1835, and for the next 40 years, scientists worldwide worked on the incandescent lamp. The two main types of early electric lighting systems were incandescent lamps and arc lamps, which were demonstrated in the early 1800s by Humphry Davy, who passed an electric current through a platinum strip to generate light.
Arc lamps were the first to be commercialised in the 1830s, three decades after Davy's initial demonstration. They produced light by creating an electric arc between two carbon electrodes. However, they were not suitable for small spaces or homes due to their high intensity and power requirements. The first large-scale application of arc lamps was in 1878 when Jablochkoff arc lamps lit the streets of Paris.
Incandescent lamps, on the other hand, used a filament heated by an electric current to produce light. Early attempts at incandescent lamps included Warren de la Rue's 1840 design, which enclosed a platinum coil in a vacuum tube. This design was efficient but impractical due to the high cost of platinum. William Greener's 1846 lamp also laid the groundwork for future innovations.
In the late 1870s and 1880s, intense competition and innovation marked the development of incandescent lamps. Joseph Swan in the UK and Thomas Edison in the US independently created functional incandescent lamps. Swan's bulbs used thicker filaments, while Edison focused on creating bulbs with thinner filaments and better vacuums, making his design more commercially viable. Edison also contributed to the electric lighting system by providing the public with an electrical supply system and creating a complete user-ready lighting system.
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The incandescent lamp
In 1820, the French inventor de La Rue created one of the first incandescent lamps by putting a platinum coil in an evacuated glass tube. This design was based on the concept that the high melting point of platinum would allow it to operate at high temperatures and that the evacuated chamber would contain fewer gas molecules to react with the platinum, improving its longevity. However, the cost of platinum made this design impractical for commercial use.
In 1840, Warren de la Rue, likely a relative of the French inventor, enclosed a platinum coil in a vacuum tube and passed an electric current through it, creating another early electric light bulb. In 1846, English inventor William Greener made significant contributions to early electric lighting with his lamp, laying the groundwork for future innovations.
In 1878, Joseph Swan made an evacuated carbon filament lamp and received a patent for it before Edison. Edison, however, worked to create bulbs with thinner filaments and better vacuums, producing a more commercially viable light bulb. By October 1879, Edison’s team had produced a light bulb with a carbonized filament of uncoated cotton thread that could last for 14.5 hours. They continued to experiment with the filament until they settled on one made from bamboo, giving Edison’s lamps a lifetime of up to 1,200 hours.
The rivalry between Swan and Edison eventually led to a merger, forming the Edison and Swan Electric Light Company, which sold lamps with a new filament designed by Swan. Edison also made other improvements to the light bulb, including creating a better vacuum pump to fully remove the air from the bulb and developing the Edison screw, which became the standard socket fitting for light bulbs.
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Arc lamps
The arc lamp was one of the first electric lights. It produces light through an electric arc, which is a discharge that occurs when a gas is ionized. The temperature of the arc in an arc lamp can reach several thousand degrees Celsius, and the outer glass envelope can reach 500 degrees Celsius. Due to the high temperatures involved, one must ensure that the bulb has cooled sufficiently before servicing it.
The arc lamp's harsh and intense light output initially limited its use to lighting large areas. Unenclosed arc lamps were also found to produce large amounts of infrared and harmful ultraviolet radiation not found in sunlight. However, it was discovered that encasing the arc in a glass globe could block many of these invisible rays.
Carbon arc lamps were eventually replaced by safer, more efficient, versatile, and easier-to-maintain incandescent and gas-discharge lamps. However, carbon-arc lamps are still used in specific applications, such as testing materials, paints, and coatings for wear, fading, or deterioration, where a close approximation of sunlight is required.
The common fluorescent lamp is a low-pressure mercury arc lamp, and xenon arc lamps, which produce a high-intensity white light, have replaced carbon arcs in many applications, including movie projectors and searchlights.
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Fluorescent lighting
The first constant electric light was demonstrated in 1835, and for the next 40 years, scientists worked on improving the incandescent lamp. In 1879, Thomas Edison patented and commercialized his incandescent light bulb. However, the quest for better lighting solutions continued into the 20th century, with researchers seeking to improve lighting efficiency.
In 1901, American Peter Cooper Hewitt patented the first mercury vapor lamp, which is considered the prototype for modern fluorescent lights. Hewitt's lamp produced a blue-green light by passing an electric current through mercury vapor and incorporating a ballast to regulate the current. While these lamps were more efficient than incandescent bulbs, their light colour limited their applications.
In 1926, Jacques Risler made a significant advancement by adding a fluorescent coating inside the glass tubing of mercury lamps, bringing fluorescent lighting a step closer to commercialization. Subsequently, in 1934, General Electric introduced the first commercially viable fluorescent lamps. These lamps gained popularity in business settings due to their superior performance and cost-efficiency compared to incandescent bulbs.
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The first neon light
The first constant electric light was demonstrated in 1835, and for the next four decades, scientists worldwide worked on the incandescent lamp. In 1840, Warren de la Rue created one of the world's first electric light bulbs. However, it was not until the late 1870s and 1880s that inventors like Joseph Swan in the UK and Thomas Edison in the US independently developed functional incandescent lamps. Edison's improvements to the light bulb, such as creating a better vacuum pump and developing the Edison screw, made his design more commercially viable.
In 1912, Claude sold the world's first neon advertising sign to a barbershop in Paris. This was soon followed by a large rooftop sign for "Cinzano" and entrance lighting for the Paris Opera. Claude founded his second company, Claude Neon, and sold franchises for his neon lighting, receiving a US patent for neon lighting in 1915.
In 1923, Claude created the first neon sign in the United States for the Packard Automobile dealership in Los Angeles, California. This sign, which depicted the word "Packard", marked a new era of advertising and the iconic neon signs that have become synonymous with American culture.
Neon lighting has come a long way since its early days, with colours and designs evolving over the years. While neon lighting is not as prevalent today as it once was, it is still valued for its unique aesthetic and ability to evoke nostalgia.
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Frequently asked questions
The first constant electric light was demonstrated in 1835.
The first electric lamp was invented by Warren de la Rue in 1840. De la Rue's lamp was based on the concept that the high melting point of platinum would allow it to operate at high temperatures.
De la Rue's lamp enclosed a platinum coil in a vacuum tube and passed an electric current through it. However, the cost of platinum made it impractical for commercial use.
Many inventors contributed to the development of the electric lamp, including William Greener, Humphry Davy, Joseph Swan, and Thomas Edison.
After the invention of the first electric lamp, scientists around the world worked on improving the incandescent lamp. This led to intense competition and innovation in the late 1870s and 1880s, with inventors like Swan in the UK and Edison in the US developing functional incandescent lamps. Edison's lamp, introduced in 1879, used a carbonized filament and lasted for 14.5 hours. The turn of the century saw further improvements in bulb longevity and efficiency, with the introduction of the tungsten filament and the neon light.
