Artifact #20

Historic Edison Collection

Most Famous Lamps in the World

Famous Edison Lamp Collection DISCOVERED After Century in Darkness

Lamp 20 - It was early 1883 when a young 36 year old Thomas Edison first took a serious interest in what was to become known as the Edison Effect. That spring he was busy experimenting to find a way to stop carbon soot deposits from collecting on the inside of his lamps. The soot posed a problem because it darkened the glass and reduced light quality causing the lamp to overheat and burn out prematurely. Edison performed hundreds of experiments in pursuit of a remedy. One theory involved placing various materials inside the lamp to see if the soot could be attracted to the material instead of the glass. In one attempt to test his theory Edison made a lamp first in normal two wire fashion, each filament end connected to a wire, but also placed a thin metal rod inside the lamp that was connected to a third electric wire. His design left a small "gap" between the tip of the metal rod and the curved upper portion of his carbonized bamboo filament. In other words, the metal rod was not in contact with the filament. Edison's premise was to create a normal vacuum in the lamp, electrify it, and then attach the third wire to one of the two filament electric lead wires to see if the soot could be polarized and attracted to the metal rod instead of the glass. In the procedure of the experiment, as electricity was gradually turned on to test his theory, it was noticed that electricity flowed out of the third wire. Although the soot was not attracted to the rod, the experiment peaked Edison's interest. His attention was drawn to the fact that the electricity coming from the third wire defied the known laws of physics. It was believed at the time that the flow of electricity required a tangible conductor, in other words, electricity was not supposed to travel through a vacuum. Yet, in this lamp it did, electricity jumped the gap, it traveled through the vacuum. Not the result he was looking for, but intuitively Edison recognized the new phenomena had potential, he instinctively knew it could be put to use. With visionary insight, a trait he was famous for, Edison quickly patented the electric phenomena he'd uncovered. On November 15, 1883 Edison filed his patent application for this invention titled "Electrical Indicator," which was granted as U.S. Patent No. 307,031. His Edison Effect experiment in 1883 turned out to be man's first use and control of what would later become known as the electron. The phenomena turned his hairpin shaped bamboo filament into the first "CATHODE" and turned his thin metal rod "soot getter" into the first "ANODE." Little did anyone realize at the time just how significant the phenomena would become. It would prove to be man's greatest technical achievement. In this way, Edison created the Holy Grail of electronics, the Rosette Stone of all electronic marvels in the world today.

This lamp is the earliest known to be used by Edison himself in his 1883 Edison Effect experiments (source verification). To see a close-up of the GAP separating the Cathode and Anode inside this lamp, to see the first place where man electrically controlled the electron, click here. This Lamp has the distinguished honor of being the first known electrical device to usher in the age of electronics. It is the Great Grandfather of x-ray, radio, television, radar, computers, satellites, microwave, space exploration, GPS, modern telecommunications, and more . . . and yes, the Apple iPod.

2006 is this lamp's 123 rd. Anniversary

Go To the Collection Group Exhibit

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