Posted 6 years ago
Victex68
(1 item)
Purchased in Japan just after Japan's surrender in 1945. Have been passed down over the years and transported very carefully over several moves. The bulbs have small flowers that light when bulb in initially screwed in. When screwed in further the much larger light turns on. The plug is Leviton with one pole in silver and one in copper or brass. Two circles with SA in one and UL in the other. Leviton came to be in 1906 but could not find any pictures that copied this plus. Found one that had two poles in brass or copper - Good mystery he!
These are great. makes me wonder about the thread size for the bulbs and style of wall plug from that era in that area ?
I'm with BB2. Could we get a pic of the bottom of one of those light bulbs???
Latest Picture of base shows how the major light provides current to the big light, by screwing the bulb further and making additional contact - pretty innovative for the time period. Will provide picture of plug latter today.
Thanks for adding the extra. Just the idea of making a 2 stage bulb is innovative, much less doing it.
is this 220v ?
That plug is a typical 'clamp on' variety of a style that's been commonly available for many decades, most likely a replacement for a worn/damaged original plug and/or cord. The pull-chain sockets may also have been replaced at some point, I would more expect 1945 lamps to have metal shelled sockets.
THOSE BULBS are quite the unusual thing on the other hand, even if they didn't have that incredibly interesting (and MOST unique!!) '2-stage' contact arrangement. I asked to see their bases expecting something similar to a typical 3-way light bulb...wow was I wrong?!! <lol> They're also obviously some sort of 'decorative neon' in function (like common neon glow lamp indicators, see wikipedia link below) but, though I've seen (and have one or two) similar bulbs with decoratively shaped anodes inside (the 'flowers') I've *never* seen anything with what appears like an actual 'usable light source' also inside -- I'm guessing (hard to tell in the pics) that's some sorta roughly 'funnel shaped' (?) anode also in the base of the bulb envelope that glows with the white light as the 2nd stage??
I'd LOVE to know more about those bulbs -- are there any markings on them that might suggest who/where/when they were made?? <beg> :-) :-) :-)
<aaack> ...forgot the link...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_lamp
I'm thinking that we are lucky the War ended when it did ! Tell you what, I like these so much that I am willing to swap this beautiful wife with me. You pay her air fare & I'll pay the postage for the lamps. No legal problems. She's not MY wife & her husband doesn't want her back. LOL !! Make counter offer. (PLEASE !) LOL !!!!
Information on one of the bulb is stamped or painted on says 115V 60W and the name SAKURA. Searching the net there are many lights of some similarities but nothing exactly like mine.