Now You See It, Now You Don't!

TellZall's object for February is the Flashbulb

When Louis Daguerre introduced the first practical photographic process in 1839, the world rushed to photographers to have their portraits taken. As photography evolved, new methods became available to make multiple prints, and subjects beyond portraits became popular.

Obtaining enough light to make a photograph, however, was a problem. The materials of the nineteenth century required vast amounts of light to make an image. The sun was the most obvious and only practical source, but obviously limited when and where photographs could be taken.

A number of inventors tried to find practical solutions, but to little avail. Most involved either heavy, awkward arc lights that required generators and other equipment or used some type of burning substance. Incandescent light bulbs simply could not supply the light needed.

Burning powdered magnesium metal gave ample light, but also produced too much smoke and ash. In the 1880s inventors mixed an oxidizing agent, usually potassium chlorate, with the magnesium powder. The result was a mixture that gave a "flash" that was rich in light - and also in danger. Something better was needed, especially for amateur photographers.

The first practical electric flashbulb was invented in 1928 in Holland at the Philips Glolamp Works. Two years later, the first American-made flashbulb came on the market. It was about the size of a household lightbulb, had the same medium screw type base, but was filled with thin sheets of magnesium foil. When a current was applied, the foil ignited with a brilliant flash of light. The combustion was contained within the glass bulb, making for a far safer experience.

A number of companies - especially giants General Electric, Westinghouse, and Sylvania - produced a varied of flashbulbs. Some were small, others large. A coating on the glass provided protection in case the glass shattered from the intense heat of the flash. Some flashbulbs were coated with colors to help match the light needed for color photography. Others were special infrared bulbs for stealth photography. All were good for just one use - flash, and the bulb was gone!

Flashbulbs remained popular until the 1980s, when the popularity and the low price of electronic flash tubes, first introduced in 1930 by Harold Egerton of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, made it profitable to produce them. Today, most amateur cameras, whether they use film or digital technology, feature built-in electronic flashes.

Still, some photographers prefer flashbulbs. When linked together, a series of flashbulbs can produce the vast amounts of light needed to photograph such things as caves without requiring heavy equipment. Additionally, some photographers believe that the flashbulb provides a softer, more appealing light. These photographers continue to use "old stock" flashbulbs whose manufacture was discontinued years ago.