Lamps
Large metal magnesium lamp
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Brief description | Large metal magnesium lamp |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | For the first photographers, the sun was their only source of light. But from 1864, magnesium wire and ribbon, the first examples of artificial light, became available. They could be fed into lamps fitted with reflectors and burned to provide an alternative form of steady illumination. Magnesium powder could also be ignited to provide a flash. Flash photography drastically reduced exposure times, meaning rapidly moving objects and actions could be captured instantly. However, magnesium was dangerous, producing smoke, fumes, ash and sometimes explosions. Flash bulbs, introduced in the 1920s, encased the chemical reaction and provided a safer option until the arrival of electronic flash technologies in the 1960s. |
| Credit line | The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the V&A, acquired with the generous assistance of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund. |
| Other number | 4185 - Royal Photographic Society Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | RPS.137-2018 |
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| Record created | February 9, 2018 |
| Record URL |
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