The Edison Bulb: Awesome Then, Still Awesome Now

The lightbulb Thomas Edison debuted in 1879 is pretty different from the standard lightbulb we use today. But the Edison — or Ferrowatt — inspired bulbs still look amazing over a century later, and you can still get your hands on replicas today.

Instead of an intense white or yellow glow, Edison bulbs emit an amber hue that gives any room a warm, relaxed atmosphere. More than just a source of light, the filaments are often the centre of the bulb’s aesthetic appeal, since they’re visible and not blinding. They come in a few different form factors, but the best of the bunch is the four-coil bulb, which looks like a radioactive spring inside a glass bubble.

OK, sure, maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe these aren’t the greenest objects known to man, but we can all have one or two in our lives, right?

Image: Flickr/Alexander Bohn