FROM THE INVENTION
OF THE INCANDESCENT BULB

and who it really was

INCANDESCENT BULBS

What would we do today without artificial lighting? We’d probably be groping about in the dark – quite literally. Artificial light is everywhere; it surrounds us by day and, above all, by night. We simply flick it on without giving it a second thought. Thanks to the invention of incandescent bulbs, we’re lucky enough not to have to do that anymore!

BUT WHO INVENTED IT?

Not the Swiss! If you ask around today, most people would probably say: “Of course! It was Edison!” But that’s not entirely correct. We have Edison and his company, General Electric, to thank for the fact that we can all use this invention. He further developed the existing technology of incandescent bulbs so that it became commercially viable and usable for everyone.

BUT WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THAT?

As early as 1802, the English chemist Sir Humphry Davy laid the first foundations for modern incandescent bulbs. He connected two carbon filaments together, thereby creating the first arc lamp.

In 1840, Warren de la Rue built on Davy’s findings and placed platinum wires under a glass dome. It worked, but these incandescent bulbs were far too expensive for general use due to the use of platinum.

Sir Humphry Davy – Warren de la Rue – James Prescott Joule

The search continued, and it was eventually James Prescott Joule who, for the first time, achieved a breakthrough by experimenting with electric current and resistors. When current flows through a conductor with high resistance, it generates thermal energy and also emits light. Following this breakthrough, the task was now to find a material that was, above all, cost-effective, durable and, most importantly, suitable for practical use in incandescent bulbs. 

In 1840, Joseph Wilson Swan, an English doctor and chemist, presented the first practical and widely usable incandescent bulb. It featured a carbonised paper filament in a partial vacuum. He was the first to patent it in 1860. However, the stumbling blocks remained: excessive heat, insufficient light and a short lifespan.

And this is where Thomas Alva Edison comes into the picture. In 1880, he drew on previous findings and built the first incandescent bulb using a Japanese bamboo filament. This bulb lasted for 1,200 hours and truly brought electric light into the lives of ‘ordinary’ people. This is probably why Edison is regarded as the ‘father of incandescent bulbs’. 

Finally, in 1906, Edison, together with General Electric, patented the first technology using a tungsten filament – a technology that has stood the test of time and has been with us ever since!

And development certainly doesn’t stand still; changes and improvements have been made and continue to be made. In 1991, Philips succeeded in inventing incandescent bulbs based on the principle of magnetic induction, which boast an astonishing lifespan of 60,000 hours. 

The history of the invention of the modern LED is just as fascinating and varied. 

For those who miss the good old incandescent bulbs – the SEGULA Online Shop is where modern meets nostalgia. In the Vintage Line, you’ll find products that not only look like incandescent bulbs, but feel like them too!