Copyright 2005 Frank Andrews - Home - Lightbulb Index - Contact Email: Frank

A Short History of Electric Light

by Frank Andrews

Data From Some Inspected Bulbs

This list is organised by bulb or container markings if bulb unmarked. Many lamps were made unmarked but the Incandescent Lamp Central Sales Office, in Berlin and many others around Europe supplied all of Europe and many would be supplied etched to order. They were manufactured by many companies. This list is a typical cross selection of lamps from the period up to 1950, but mostly from 1910’s to 1930’s.

ASTON
  1. 100v 16cp Carbon two loop BC, 110mm with pip.
    Made by Veritys Limited, Aston, Birmingham. UK. c. 1905. Also sold B.T.H. Edison lamps.
AURIGA
  1. 220v 40w Tungsten wire BC
    Pip. Made by Westinghouse.
BARRETTER 302
  1. Not light bulb 8 coiled tungsten ES. 120mm straight sides no pip. Eight vertical filaments in series.
    Box. Plain white. Marked MARCONI BARRETTER. Suggested price 16/6 No P.Tax. This was a ballast lamp for radio equipment.
BEACON
  1. 115v 100w Coiled tungsten, BC, 160mm high with pip.
  2. 210v 300w Coiled tungsten, Large ES, 200mm with pip.
BELL
  1. 240v 20w Small BC. 100mm twisted flame external frosting.
    Paper wrapper: Made in the BELL WORKS, LONDON. British patent 23499 / 1909
  2. 230v 40w Carbon loop BC. 160mm twisted flame external frosting.
  3. 230v 40w Tungsten coil Small BC. 135mm non-twisted flame with pip. Made in London.
BRIMSDOWN
  1. by Imperial Lamp Works (Brimsdown) Ltd. Made Carbon and Colloid Tungsten lamps. Probably owned by Metropolitan Vickers. see COSMOS
BRITANNIA
  1. 230v 100cp Drawn tungsten BC. Dick Kerr & Co. Ltd UK. Patent no 11455 - 1912. 180mm high with pip. Globular shape. Marked ‘Property of H.M. Office of Works’
BRUSH
  1. Made by Brush Co. Ltd. in UK.
B.T.H. EDISON
  1. Made by British Thomson Houston Ltd in UK
CARTON
  1. 200-250v Tungsten coil BC, 95mm no pip. Made in England
COSMOS
  1. Part of Metropolitan Vickers. see also BRIMSDOWN
CRESCENT MOON
  1. 200-250v 5w Neon Night-light BC, 95mm. Rabbit shaped wire element. Made in England

  2. ditto. But with Bird shaped wire element.
CROWTHER & NICHOLSON Ltd
  1. 100v 16cp Carbon three loop BC, 110mm high with pip. Also made by bulbs under ‘POPE’ trademark.
DOTO
  1. 100v 60w+60w Tungsten twin BC three pad. 110mm high no pip. Gas filled. Adjustable base ring. Moulded embossed pattern on bulb. Internal frosting.
  2. 105v 25w+25w Tungsten twin BC three pad, 110mm high no pip. Vacuum filled. Adjustable base ring. Moulded embossed pattern on bulb.
    Box: ‘FENBO’, ‘ISMAY’. Made in England 1930’s. Patent Nos. 30255/33, 35760/33, 2077/34, 16298/34, 18562/34, 360943, 344865, 750385.
E.C. Lamps
  1. AEG but made by The Electrical Company Ltd in UK
ECONOMICAL
  1. 2 separate carbon loops BC with switch. 125mm with pip. A single large carbon loop and a small two loop carbon filament are connected to a switch in the base. The switch is operated by pull cords one labelled ‘DIM’ and the other ‘BRIGHT’. Made by the ‘Economical Lamp Company, New York. USA. British patents 12-19-02, 6,1,02, 6,30,03.
ROYAL “EDISWAN”. CAV
  1. 12v Carbon two loop Small BC, 50mm high with pip. Car bulb.
ROYAL “EDISWAN”.
  1. 200v 16cp Carbon four loop BC, 110mm high with pip. Royal Cypher.
ROYAL “EDISWAN”. ROTAX
  1. No voltage/power marks Coiled tungsten Small BC, 70mm with pip. Gas filled. In MAZDA, Electric bulbs for motor cars, box.Made by BTH Co. Ltd., Rugby England. Patents 23775 / 1912, 10918 / 1913
  2. 12v Carbon two loop Small BC, 50mm high with pip. Car bulb.
ROYAL “EDISWAN”
  1. 240v 500w Coiled tungsten Large ES, Royal cypher mark. 280mm high no pip (1920’s)
FERROWATT
  1. 200v 60w Coiled tungsten BC, 100mm with pip.
FOTOS
  1. Tungsten lamp made in France by Etablissements Industriels E.C. & A. Grammont.
H.A.J.
  1. Probably imported with etched name. H A Jackson Ltd. UK
HENRION
  1. French carbon bulbs. Sold by GEIPEL & LANGE in UK
IMPERIAL
  1. 210v Carbon 2x two loop BC, 90mm high with pip. Two elements joined at centre.
INSULAR
  1. 230v 40w Coiled tungsten Small BC, 130mm. Gas filled Candle lamp. Made in England
    Paper wrapper Insular Electric Lamp Works Ltd.
  2. 210v 40w
LELIOS
  1. Unusual tungsten lamp with filament on a glass frame.
MAGICOAL PLUS
  1. 250v Coiled tungsten Two pin custom base, 115mm. H. H. Berry (UK Electric heater manufacturer). Red Glass. Two row filament. For use in Magicoal fires.
MAZDA
  1. 100-115v 130w Carbon two loop BC, BTH. Made in England.
  2. 200v 60w Drawn tungsten BC, 140mm high with pip. Straight sides. Made by British Thompson Houston. B.T.H.
  3. 77v 17w Drawn tungsten Small BC, 110mm spiral flame with pip. BTH. Unusual voltage. Bulb has three seams from mould.
  4. 230v 15w Not visible BC, 90mm World War Two Black-out bulb. The bulb has been dipped in black paint which is scraped off at the top to give a small amount of illumination. BTH Ltd. UK.
  5. 200w 6.6A Coiled coil Special base, 220mm. GE (General Electric USA) Airport Approach.
  6. 115v 100w Coiled coil Small BC, 70mm black top projector lamp. BTH UK. Gas filled. Two filaments arranged in a frame. c. 1955.
  7. 240v 1000w Tungsten coil Large ES, 310mm. Boxed in WW2 austerity type carton. BTH Ltd UK.
METALITE
  1. Tungsten filaments made in UK from 1906. Bryant Trading Syndicate Ltd. Metalite Ltd formed 1908
MULTIPLEX
  1. 110v 40w+40w Twin coiled coil BC three pad. Gas filled. Made in England. Ring on base adjusts which pad pair and filament is used.
NERON
  1. UK trademark of OSRAM GmbH, Germany. GEC owned the OSRAM name in the UK
ORIECO
  1. Tungsten filament lamps. E O Walker & Co. marketed in UK.
OSGLIM
  1. 230/240W 5w Spiral neon type BC, 115mm. Made by GEC Ltd. 1930’s to 60’s
OSRAM
  1. 40 Watt Coiled coil lamps give 20% more light than ordinary OSRAM lamps. British patents 226455, 228907, 249796, 429364, 441207.
  2. 100v 60w Drawn tungsten BC, 130mm no pip. Straight sided. GEC UK.
  3. 230v 25w External frosting Small ES, 100mm by 23mm tubular. GEC Ltd UK.
  4. 250v 25w Coiled tungsten SBC, 115mm candle lamp. GEC Ltd. Made in England.
  5. 220v 150w Coiled tungsten ES, 160mm no pip. Gas filled. Made in UK by G.E.C. Ltd.
  6. 110v 60w Coiled tungsten BC, 115mm no pip. Internal frosting. Made in UK by G.E.C. Ltd. Probably c. 1945. Paper wrapper with the legend ‘Paper is important - Be sure to return this wrapper to your local salvage depot.’

  7. Box only for 200-210v 60w Photoflood bulb. Patent Nos. 147293, 228907, 183118, 186497, 226455, 249796, 344577. Made by GEC Ltd UK.
PHILIPS ARGENTA
  1. 220v 60w BC, 120mm no pip. Gas filled. Pure white opaque glass.
PHILIPS
  1. 240v 2000w Coiled tungsten Dual pins base, Specialist process bulb for 3200oK film. Filament in flat plane in frame. 230mm high.
POPE TRACTION
  1. 100v 16cp Carbon three loop BC, 110mm with pip. Marked C & N. Made by Crowther & Nicholson, UK.
POPE
  1. 48 ? 2 Parallel carbon loops Small BC, 55mm with pip. Car bulb.
POPES ELASTA
  1. 6v 24w 2 Parallel tungsten coils Small BC, 70mm with pip. UK Government arrow on base. Car bulb.
ROBERTSON
  1. 240v 60(?) Carbon four loop ES, 120mm high with pip. Straight sides. Owned by G.E.C. Factory in London.
  2. 100v 16cp Carbon two loop ES, 110mm high with pip
SASHALIGHT (Flashbulb)
  1. Metal foil filled photographic bulb by GEC Ltd UK, Small Edison screw of torch bulb size. 110mm no pip.
    Leaflet: Made by General Electric Co. Ltd of England for Sashalite Ltd - Patent. Intended to be used in ordinary torches or with special equipment.
SCEANDO
  1. Made by Crowther & Osborne Ltd, later Sceando Lamp Company.
SERVICE
  1. A box of 12 3.8v .22A bulbs with miniature screws, Service Automobile lamps. London. Canada.
    Legend on box: ‘The “MAZDA” lamp contained herein is manufactured by Service Lamp Company Limited, under licence from Canadian General Electric Company Limited, under one or more of the following patents of the Dominion of Canada: 239865; 354642 and others dated 1925-43 inclusive.’
SIEMENS GASFILLED
  1. 110v 200w Coiled drawn tungsten ES, 210mm high with pip.Made in England.
    Paper wrapper with following additional info: ‘Suitable for Alternating or Direct current’ Patents 16530 - 1907. 23499 - 1909. 8031 - 1910. 17722 - 1911. 10918 - 1913. 15329 - 1914.
SIEMENS B.A.S.
  1. 7v 12w Tungsten coil Small BC, 55mm no pip. Car bulb.
SIEMENS
  1. 110v 100w Coiled tungsten ES, 120mm high no pip. One side marked TOP. Projector lamp. Filament arranged in a flat plane.
  2. 210v 25w Internal frosting BC, 100mm high. Externally sprayed opaque blue. Boxed. Young girl carrying a bulb. Made in England. Also mentions Siemens SILVALUX opal bulbs.
  3. 50v 32cp Single carbon loop BC, Boxed as above. c. 1930’s carbon lamp?
SILVA-LITE
  1. Tungsten lamps Marketed by The Northern Electrical Engineering Co. Maybe manufactured by them too?
WINFIELD ‘NITELITE’
  1. 240/250v 5-8w Coiled Tungsten BC, 105mm. Aluminium base cap. c. 1950. Winfield is a trade name of Woolworth’s.

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