Posted 13 years ago
JannieJunk
(6 items)
This is a total mystery to me and all my friends.
It is approx 12ins long.
It has silver tips to each end. One end has a very tiny hook attached.
The "bottom" has a small tube billowing out to a bulb shape. The "top" end is more elongated. Both ends have a wire running through which finishes at the necks, which appear to be sealed from the main body.
The main body widens out from the narrow neck, then narrows again at the other end. It contains a green/yellow spirally shaped thing winding round a clear shaped ???? what ????.
Guesses range from - a difusser - an antique light bulb - an apprentice practice piece - a neon bulb.
I can't even begin to think what it might be.
Any ideas?
Where would I start looking for this? I have spent hours researching all the above suggestions.
Someone from another forum has just said it's a GEISSLER tube. What on Earth is one of them?
That is what it looks like to me! Here you go.
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Geissler,_Johann_Heinrich_Wilhelm
I would love to see it lit up. Here are some examples on ebay
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=Geissler+tube&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Thanks Vestawind.
The ones on EBay look stunning, don't they.
According to someone on another Forum they need specialist equiptment to light them, so I wont risk trying.
Shame.
I normally sell my things, but I am seriously considering keeping this one and displaying it in my workroom.
Quote taken from a member of another Forum where I have posed this same question.
"Needless to say, with an engineer for a husband, he knew exactly what it is, and even has a book on the subject, dated 1900!!
He says it looks as though there is a glass coil and some uranium glass in yours, and if the seal hasn't failed, it would glow if a very high voltage / low current is passed through it.....but you would need special equipment to do this!!
Just as a point of interest, the vacuum would have been achieved with the use of a Sprengler Pump, and the high voltage would have been generated with a Ruhnkorff Coil.......so there you have it!!
MOH also says that if you had a number of these and you wanted to try and operate them to see them glow, you might be able to do this using a car ignition coil!!!"
I've finally got pics of this lit up. And it is stunning. How do I post them on here?