How Has the Lightbulb Changed Over the Years?

Lightbulb technology has remained relatively stable since the invention of the first practical lightbulb in the 1860s. While most people think of Thomas Edison as the inventor of the lightbulb, several other individuals were involved and some sources credit other creators with its invention. Since the invention of the first filament lightbulb, certain innovations have come about throughout much of the 20th century and into the 21st century.

Finding the Right Filament

The biggest problem in the invention of the earliest lightbulbs involved finding the correct filament. Several individuals had some involvement in the invention of the earliest electric lightbulbs, including Thomas Edison, Joseph Wilson Swan, Henry Woodward and Matthew Evans. Finding a material that was safe, practical, cost-effective and produced bright enough light proved quite difficult. Although Edison realized that tungsten filament eventually would work the best, in Edison's time this material was too expensive to produce. The earliest incandescent lightbulbs, made in the 1860s, used filaments from other materials such as carbonized paper.

The 1920s and 1930s

During the 1920s, adjustable power beam bulbs emerged. This type of bulb had applications for neon lighting and car headlamps. Frosted lightbulbs also emerged during the 1920s. Lightbulb developments of the 1930s included fluorescent tanning lamps and one-time flashbulbs for use in photography.

The 1940s and 1950s

The 1940s brought about the development of the earliest "soft light" incandescent bulb. The major development from the 1950s involved invention of the halogen lightbulb. Another development of the 1950s was that of a lightbulb using diodes that produced infrared light. Around the same time, another inventor developed the first light emitting diode (LED). One of the first uses of LED technology was by Hewlett-Packard in its handheld calculators.

The 1960s

The biggest development of the 1960s was the increase in the efficiency and light-giving capacity of LED technology. As they became more efficient, this type of lightbulb also gained recognition as a more environmentally friendly type of light source than the traditional incandescent light bulb. By late 2009, you could find almost as many models of flashlights on store shelves with LED light technology as with conventional lighbulbs.

The Late 20th and Early 21st Centuries

Lightbulb technology remained fairly consistent from the 1960s up until the present, with only one major development--the introduction of full spectrum and near-full spectrum lightbulbs. Full spectrum lightbulbs mimic natural daylight and can have an advantageous effect on an array of physiological conditions such as depression, light deficiency syndrome and seasonal affective disorder. Full spectrum lightbulbs first became available in fluorescent bulbs around the end of the 20th century. During the early 21st century, the GE company pioneered first a near full-spectrum incandescent lightbulb and, a few years later, a true full-spectrum incandescent lightbulb. By November 2009, both GE and Sylvania were marketing full spectrum incandescent lightbulbs under the trade names Reveal and Daylight, respectively.

References

• The Technological Development of the Light Bulb Through History
• The History of the Light Bulb: An Electric Dawn