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I learned about the arc lamp when I was a kid, watching Connections on PBS. John Burke explains it in one episode, and it appears during the title sequence of every episode. IIRC, it was invented to replace theater stage lights, where previously were lit by oil lamps, that had a tendency to start the set on fire.
Here it is : https://archive.org/details/ConnectionsByJamesBurke/Connections/Season+3/Connections+S03E03+-+Drop+the+Apple.mp4
Ineffably magnificent…
The following lamp looks like creating a whole… Universe…:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Xenon_Flash_Wiki.ogv (High-speed, slow-motion video of a xenon flashtube recorded at a speed of 44,025 frames per second…)I worked with one in the 80s to do large-format B&W jewelry photography. After a few hours of work, I had a sunburn on one side of my face.
Fun fact- The xenon bulbs used in continuous lighting such as projectors and followspots are pressurized at several atmospheres. Common safety measures when changing those bulbs out involve a kevlar suit and face shield reminiscent of a bomb squad suit.
Yup, and the sheer size of a projector is because 90% is shielding in case of a lamp explosion. The actual functional circuitry is about the size of a pi.
The lamps also come in cages.
Yea they only seem practical for very specific uses now that we have LEDs.
I learned about these from the projectionist where I worked, back when I was a kid. When they’d get taken out of a projector and thrown in the garbage, he’d smash them on the ground to get the tungsten electrodes out. Apparently they both looked cool, like the surface of the moon, and sold for a lot!
