Beautiful Science: Light

Nov. 16, 2008–March 17, 2020
Dibner Hall of the History of Science

Harnessing and understanding light have challenged humankind for centuries. Our understanding of the properties of light and energy, as well as the ways in which we use them, continue to evolve. In Beautiful Science: Ideas that Changed the World, the complex science of light was presented through the lens of experimentation. The exhibition also included a significant collection of historic light bulbs.

Historic Light Bulbs

The Huntington's collection of historical lamps consists of nearly 400 light bulbs, about half of which are on display in these cases. The light bulbs range from the 1890s to the 1960s. They include examples of the variety of bases, filaments, and globes in use before the development of current incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs.

Lightbulbs: Case 1

Learn more about bulbs 191, 517, 537, and 548 - see them in the Dibner Hall of the History of Science.

Lightbulbs: Case 2

Learn more about bulbs 176, 566, and 594 - see them in the Dibner Hall of the History of Science.

Lightbulbs: Case 3

Learn more about bulbs 608, 618, and 635 - see them in the Dibner Hall of the History of Science.

Kitab al-manazir (Book of optics), 1572, Ibn al-Haytham

Optica (Optics), 1557, Euclid

Werner's nomenclature of colours, 1821, Abraham Werner

Opticks: or, a treatise of the reflections, refractions, inflections and colours of light, 1717, Isaac Newton