Palace Theater Light
| Type | Carbon-filament |
|---|---|
| Working principle | Incandescence |
The Palace Theater Light, also known as the Eternal Light,[1] is an incandescent light bulb recognized as being the second oldest continuously operating light bulb in the world, behind the Centennial Light. The Palace Theater Light has been running since 1908 and was previously regarded as the oldest running light bulb in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records, until the Centennial Light was discovered. It is kept at the Stockyards Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
The light bulb was made by the Shelby Electric Company and was first put in the Byers Opera House, which became the Palace Theater in 1919. This building was marked for demolition in 1977, and a local man brought the bulb to his home and looked after it. After a while he said that he was having trouble looking after it, which was followed by the Stockyards Museum obtaining it.
History
[edit]The Palace Theater Light was made by the Shelby Electric Company[2] and a carbon filament.[3] It is not kept at its original brightness, as it is dimmed to preserve its lifespan.[2] It has been running since September 21, 1908, when it was installed at the backstage of the Byers Opera House.[2][3] A while later, a sign was placed to tell people not to turn the light off.[4] The light survived when the opera house became the Palace Theater, and survived several power outages. It was put on its own circuit breaker 'that was permanently set to "on."'[3] The theater house was marked for demolished in 1977, and the light bulb went to the local home of a man. He later said that he was aging and needed help taking care of it,[2] which was followed in 1991 by the Stockyards Museum in Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas, taking possession of it. They put it in a glass case and made sure that it ran 24 hours a day.[2] The museum occasionally experiences power outages which causes the bulb to turn off.[2] The bulb has its own power supply.[4]
Publicity
[edit]The Palace Theater Light was once thought to be the longest-running light bulb in the world.[5][3] It appeared in 1970 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records before it was replaced by the Centennial Light two years later when it was discovered to be so old.[6][1] The Palace Theater Light is now recognized as the second longest-running light bulb in the world.[2]
The museum holds birthday parties for the light bulb every September,[7][8] and radio broadcaster Paul Harvey would give the bulb birthday wishes.[5]
Reasons for longevity
[edit]It is not known why the bulb has lasted for so long. Speculators have suggested that it is because it does not get turned on or off, because it has a low wattage, or because it has less air inside due how it was sealed.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "What keeps the light burning? The world's five longest glowing ilght bulbs". Oakland Tribune. May 21, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Light bulb still burning 107 years later". cbs19.tv. June 10, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Palace Theater light bulb has burned continuously for 100 years". The Dallas Morning News. September 22, 2008.
- ^ a b "A 1908 Texas theatre light bulb has outshone many of its modern brethren". National Post. September 21, 2004.
- ^ a b "At 107, still a real live wire; Livermore's firehouse bulb has been burning continuously since 1901". Los Angeles Times. May 5, 2008.
- ^ "Livermore's Centennial Light Guiness Book of World Records: 1972 - 2007". www.centennialbulb.org. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ "Still burning, second oldest light bulb in the world turns 110 in North Texas". wfaa.com. September 19, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ "Fort Worth Stockyards Museum determined to hold its place in history amid redevelopment". Yahoo News. July 22, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.