Anoka, MN c.1950 Downtown, Old Cars, Earliest Mercury Vapor Street Lights

By Joe Maurath, Jr.; posted September 16, 2015

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These revolutionary luminaires were introduced by Westinghouse as their OV-20 in 1947 and it took GE until 1949 to come up with a street lighting fixture specifically designed for outdoor mercury vapor lighting (it was their Form 109). In addition, Westinghouse unveiled their 400 watt mercury lamp (as these fixtures utilized), known as the E-H1 in 1947 so that the lamp could be operated in any position. The fixtures shown had horizontially-mounted sockets. It was not until 1949 or 1950 before anyone else could come up with a similar lamp (it was GE). Also, these bulbs provided 50% more light for the same energy consumed and lasted much longer than their 400-watt mercury predecessor which had to be operated only in vertical position. Mercury vapor street lighting became very popular in the 1950s particularly within bustling downtown districts across America. Mercury vapor bulbs provided twice the amount of light for the same amount of energy consumed and several times the life of the then-commonplace incandescent ones.

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