1976 Philips AR56 Blue 35W (12 V)

Shown here is one of the first compact halogen reflector lamps developed by Philips (the Netherlands) for the general lighting market, especially in commercial and retail applications. While most lamp manufacturers adopted GE’s pressed-glass MR16 design, the Dutch went for a spun aluminum reflector closed by a front glass plate and coupled to a Ba15d end cap. Philips introduced this type of lamp around the mid-1970s, first with a clear window, followed shortly after by a version coated with a colored lacquer for decorative lighting applications. These lamps were first manufactured at the company’s original halogen lamp mother factory in Turnhout, Belgium, and production was then transferred to Aachen, West Germany, during the 1980s.