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| Info about this bulb |
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Rating: 108-112v, 187w Came from: U.S.A. (Pennsylvania) Manufactured: 1905-1909 Purchased: February 2003 Price paid: N/A Bulb rarity: Extremely rare Best feature: unique filament setup |
| 187w Edison GEM Lightbulb |
This is an original Edison GEM bulb. In the very beginning (in 1905), GEM lightbulbs had twin hairpin filaments in series (like on this bulb). They were later changed to a single continuous filament in 1909, this means that this bulb is at least 95 years old, and could be up to 99 years old! The GEM bulb used a filament that was 25-30% more efficient than the carbon filament used in earlier bulbs (gave more light and used less power) but was later left in the dust by the much superior tungsten filament, which appeared in 1907 and is still used today. See my other Edison GEM bulb. The higher wattage GEM bulbs disappeared first, the smaller sizes were produced until 1917. This is why this bulb is so rare. The GEM filament is the work of Dr. Willis R. Whitney. Westinghouse also made its own version of the GEM bulb, which was called the "Westinghouse Metallized" lightbulb. It is interesting to note that GEM filaments are extremely springy and quite resistant to rough handling.
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