Wow, what a beautiful blue glow. This lamp has to date sometime between 1938 and 1945, because in 1938 when fluorescent lighting was commercially available, the first two sizes I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, was F15T12 and F30T8, with the F40T12 lamp produced in late 1938 or sometime in '39, and in 1945 the Mazda name was dropped. The deep blue glow, closely resembles the F20T12 lamps they used in the hospital on my niece who was born in 2012 at 36 weeks with severe jaundice. I remember the lamps said F20T12/BB and BILI BLUE and she was kept under the light for a good part of 4 days total wearing only a diaper and goggles to shield her eyes from the harsh light, daily blood tests were given to monitor the bilirubin levels. Today she is healthy and just started 7th grade. I had the same condition, born at 34 weeks and spent 3 weeks in the NICU, now a 35 year old gray haired master electrician. Lol
WOAH, that is an absolutely incredible tube. You got there, probably the oldest covered fluorescent tube on UA-cam now. I would say you’re correct with the brass end cap and how they basically ended during the wartime metal rationing. Although I do think the production of brass ends for a short while longer. I have a Sylvania F8T5 that I was told was from 1951 and it has brass ends. I actually happen to have a steel end tube, a Sylvania that was manufactured in November 1944, I have video on my channel of it that I uploaded early this year. Thanks for sharing this, I look forward to your future videos on those other tubes and fixtures!
An interesting thing to note is that some European manufacturers such as Philips still made fluorescent tubes with brass endcaps well into the 1960s for the European market. Additionally, it is also good to know that some North American F40T12 preheat fluorescent luminaires made during WW2 also have some fiberboard reflectors for the purpose of conserving metal for weaponry. I have a couple of 2 lamp F40 preheat shoplight luminaires that come with fiberboard reflectors in my collection as of now. I recently acquired one of them and it has a top mounted ballast and top mounted starters.
Rare and beautiful blue fluorescent lamp.
Very cool stuff!
Cheers 🍷
Wow, what a beautiful blue glow. This lamp has to date sometime between 1938 and 1945, because in 1938 when fluorescent lighting was commercially available, the first two sizes I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, was F15T12 and F30T8, with the F40T12 lamp produced in late 1938 or sometime in '39, and in 1945 the Mazda name was dropped.
The deep blue glow, closely resembles the F20T12 lamps they used in the hospital on my niece who was born in 2012 at 36 weeks with severe jaundice. I remember the lamps said F20T12/BB and BILI BLUE and she was kept under the light for a good part of 4 days total wearing only a diaper and goggles to shield her eyes from the harsh light, daily blood tests were given to monitor the bilirubin levels. Today she is healthy and just started 7th grade.
I had the same condition, born at 34 weeks and spent 3 weeks in the NICU, now a 35 year old gray haired master electrician. Lol
WOW! i definitely do believe you that it's a early fluorescent tube, i mean ive never seen a brass end cap tube before.
WOAH, that is an absolutely incredible tube. You got there, probably the oldest covered fluorescent tube on UA-cam now. I would say you’re correct with the brass end cap and how they basically ended during the wartime metal rationing. Although I do think the production of brass ends for a short while longer. I have a Sylvania F8T5 that I was told was from 1951 and it has brass ends. I actually happen to have a steel end tube, a Sylvania that was manufactured in November 1944, I have video on my channel of it that I uploaded early this year. Thanks for sharing this, I look forward to your future videos on those other tubes and fixtures!
An interesting thing to note is that some European manufacturers such as Philips still made fluorescent tubes with brass endcaps well into the 1960s for the European market.
Additionally, it is also good to know that some North American F40T12 preheat fluorescent luminaires made during WW2 also have some fiberboard reflectors for the purpose of conserving metal for weaponry. I have a couple of 2 lamp F40 preheat shoplight luminaires that come with fiberboard reflectors in my collection as of now. I recently acquired one of them and it has a top mounted ballast and top mounted starters.
is it daylight blue
@davidclarke10 It's blue not daylight blue it looks lighter on video vs in person