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RLOD#49 (2020.09.19) 1937 Philips Typ.57900P/06 Introduced in the second half of the 1930s, the Typ.57900P/06 is the first electronic flash lamp developed by Philips. As opposed to modern flashtubes, this light source is filled with argon, a noble gas chosen for its strong optical emission in the blue-UVA range of the spectrum. This actinic light was needed in the early days of photography in order to properly expose primitive photographic papers and films which where characterized by a low sensitivity to light, especially at longer wavelengths. The source of light in the present lamp is a narrow-bore quartz burner of a very early type with graded-glass end seals developed by C. Bol at Philips in 1935. The discharge is driven with an ignitron-switched RC power supply which delivered 15 µs-long 2 kA current pulses with a repetition rate of up to 250 Hz, resulting in a maximum discharge power dissipation of 200 kW peak and 75 W average. The emitted light is collected and projected forward by a large reflector bulb, resulting in a light beam whose peak illuminance reaches 10 million lux at two meters from the source. The Typ.57900P/06 was particularly useful in stroboscopic applications. Keywords: Lamps

RLOD#49 (2020.09.19) 1937 Philips Typ.57900P/06


Introduced in the second half of the 1930s, the Typ.57900P/06 is the first electronic flash lamp developed by Philips. As opposed to modern flashtubes, this light source is filled with argon, a noble gas chosen for its strong optical emission in the blue-UVA range of the spectrum. This actinic light was needed in the early days of photography in order to properly expose primitive photographic papers and films which where characterized by a low sensitivity to light, especially at longer wavelengths. The source of light in the present lamp is a narrow-bore quartz burner of a very early type with graded-glass end seals developed by C. Bol at Philips in 1935. The discharge is driven with an ignitron-switched RC power supply which delivered 15 µs-long 2 kA current pulses with a repetition rate of up to 250 Hz, resulting in a maximum discharge power dissipation of 200 kW peak and 75 W average. The emitted light is collected and projected forward by a large reflector bulb, resulting in a light beam whose peak illuminance reaches 10 million lux at two meters from the source. The Typ.57900P/06 was particularly useful in stroboscopic applications.
2020-07-17_SPO_22Svetotekhnika22_DRLF_400-2.jpg 2020-09-05_Philips_SDW-TF_100W.jpg 2020-09-19_Philips_Typ_57900P2106.jpg 2020-07-24_Radium_HRI_2000W_D1.jpg 2020-08-19_Tungsram_HgMIG_2000W21S.jpg
Lamp/Fixture Information
Manufacturer:Philips
Model Reference:Typ.57900P/06
Lamp
Lamp Type:Argon flash
Filament/Radiator Type:Highly loaded arc in argon
Base:UX4
Shape/Finish:Reflector clear
Burning Position:Universal
Electrical
Wattage:200 kW peak / 75 W average (max values)
Voltage:100 V
Current:2 kA peak / 0.75 A average (max values)
Physical/Production
Factory Location:Eindhoven, the Netherlands
Fabrication Date:September 1937
Application/Use:Photography and stroboscopic applications
File information
Filename:2020-09-19_Philips_Typ_57900P2106.jpg
Album name:Max / Random lamp of the day
Keywords:Lamps
Filesize:277 KiB
Date added:05 Oct 2026
Dimensions:1000 x 1132 pixels
Displayed:146 times
URL:https://trad-lighting.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=1423
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Comment 1 to 2 of 2
Page: 1

Drew   [Mon 05 Oct 2026 at 20:22]
I was gonna ask why it's in an outer envelope but then I saw 75W average dissipation! I assume with full average power it'd definitely get hot, I'd hope it has emissive electrodes. I wonder why they chose a UX4 base for these
Max   [Wed 07 Oct 2026 at 06:14]
The burner sure gets hot at 75 W, especially with an argon fill which produces more heat per input watt than xenon. But I doubt that's the main reason why the arc tube is enclosed inside this bulb. I think this particular lamp construction was chosen primarily out of sheer convenience: the development and production costs can be kept to a minimum by using existing components (bulb, end cap). Moreover, the argon flash is not a very efficient source of light overall, so it is crucial to maximize the light coupling efficiency of the optical system and such mirrored bulb is ideally suited for that (given what was available at the time). As for the choice for the UX4 end cap, we have to remember that the lamp is fed with current pulses peaking at 2000 A, so terminals with excellent electrical contacts (maintained at all time) are required to minimize Joule losses there. Standard screw or bayonet end caps wouldn't be suitable at all.

Comment 1 to 2 of 2
Page: 1