Centennial Light

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File:Bulb.JPG
The Centennial Light hanging in the Livermore, California Firehouse.

The Centennial Light is the world's longest lasting light bulb. It is located at 4550 East Avenue, Livermore, California[1] and maintained by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. The fire department claims that the bulb is at least 105 years old and has only been turned off a handful of times. Due to its longevity, the bulb has been noted by The Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley's Believe It or Not! and General Electric.[2]

History

The Centennial Light is a 4 watt,[3] hand blown, carbon filament, common light bulb that was manufactured in Shelby, Ohio by the Shelby Electric Company[4] in the late 1890s; many just like it still exist and can be found functioning.[5] According to Mrs. Zylpha Bernal Beck, the bulb was donated to the Fire Department by her father, Dennis Bernal in 1901.[6] Mr. Bernal owned the Livermore Power and Water Company and donated the bulb to the fire station when he sold the company. This story has been supported by several firefighter volunteers of that era.

The bulb's precise history is difficult to ascertain, although evidence suggests the bulb has hung in at least four locations. It was originally hung in 1901 in a hose cart house on L Street,[7] then moved to a garage in downtown Livermore that was used by both the fire and police departments.[8] When the fire department consolidated, it was moved again to a newly-constructed City Hall that housed the unified departments. Its unusual longevity was first noticed in 1972 by a reporter named Mike Dunstan. After weeks of interviewing people who had lived in Livermore all their lives, he wrote an article entitled "Light Bulb May Be World's Oldest", which was published in the Tri-Valley Herald. This began the general public's interest in the bulb.[citation needed] The article came to the attention of Charles Kuralt of the TV program On the Road with Charles Kuralt. Kuralt contacted Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and General Electric who all confirmed its age and longevity to be the longest known in existence. In 1976, the fire department moved to Fire Station #6, with the bulb; the bulb's cord was severed for fear that unscrewing it could damage it. It was only deprived of electricity for ten minutes during the transfer, which was made in a specially-designed box and with full firetruck escort. An electrician was on hand to install the bulb into the new fire station's emergency generator. In 2001, the bulb's 100th birthday was celebrated with a community baroque and live music.[4] As of 2006, the bulb has been continuously lit for 30 years.

The bulb is cared for by the Centennial Light Bulb Committee, a partnership of the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, Livermore Heritage Guild, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, and Sandia National Laboratories. The Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department plans to house and maintain the bulb for the rest of its lifetime, regardless of length. When it finally does go out, they have no plans as to what will be done with it; Ripley's Believe it or Not! has requested it for their museum.[4] The bulb's long life has been attributed to its low wattage, near continuous operation, and dedicated power supply.[9]

Publicity

File:Bulb cam.PNG
The Centennial Lights "Bulb Cam"

The bulb was officially listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as "the Most Durable Light", in 1972, replacing another bulb in Fort Worth, Texas. The bulb was listed in the book for the next sixteen editions. It was not listed during 1988-2006, without a reason being given, before returning in 2007.[10]

According to the fire chief, every few months a news outlet will publish a story on the bulb, generating visitors and general interest, then it will drop back into obscurity for a while. Dozens of magazines and newspapers have featured articles on the bulb.[11] The bulb has been visited and featured by many major news channel[11] in the United States, including NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS,[12] WB, CNN and NPR.[1] The bulb has received letters acknowledging and celebrating its longevity from the city of Shelby, Ohio,[13] the Alameda County Board of Supervisors,[14] the California State Assembly,[15] the California State Senate,[16] Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher,[17] Senator Barbara Boxer,[18] and President George W. Bush.[19] The bulb was featured on an episode of Mythbusters which first aired on December 13 2006.[20][21] It also appeared in the PBS documentary Livermore.

The bulb has its own website, and can be continuously viewed, by webcam, over the Internet. The site is maintained by the Centennial Light Bulb Committee, a partnership of the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, Livermore Heritage Guild, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, and Sandia National Laboratories. The Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department welcomes visitors to come and see the bulb, but makes no guarantee that officers will be on duty to let them in; if officers are unavailable, visitors are encouraged to simply view it through the window.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Century Light Bulb". National Public Radio. 2001-06-10. Retrieved 2007-01-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ The Little Bulb That Could… and Does article from VIA. Retrieved on January 27, 2007.
  3. ^ Centennial bulb at USA Today. Retrieved on January 27, 2007.
  4. ^ a b c "Livermore's Centennial Light Facts". Retrieved 2006-12-17.
  5. ^ Steve's Shelby Collection. Retrieved on January 20, 2007
  6. ^ [1] Retrieved on January 20, 2007
  7. ^ Light Bulb May Be World's Oldest
  8. ^ Livermore timeline at PSB.org
  9. ^ Light Bulb Methuselahs at Roadside America.
  10. ^ Guinness page
  11. ^ a b "Articles". Livermore's Centennial Light.
  12. ^ "Eternal Light Bulb". CBS Evening News. March 23, 1972. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Text "http://openweb.tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/1972-3/1972-03-23-CBS-20.html" ignored (help)
  13. ^ "Proclamation: Livermore/Pleasanton California Centennial Light" (jpg). City of Shelby. June 6, 2001. Retrieved 2007-01-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Resolution: Congratulations Livermore's Centennial Light, 1901–2001" (jpg). Board of Supervisors, County of Alameda, State of California. June 8, 2001. Retrieved 2007-01-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Certificate of Recognition" (jpg). California State Assembly. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
  16. ^ "Certificate of Recognition" (jpg). State of California Senate. June 8, 2001. Retrieved 2007-01-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ Ellen O. Tauscher (June 8, 2001). "Letter of congratulations" (jpg). Retrieved 2007-01-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Barbara Boxer (June 8, 2001). "Letter of congratulations" (jpg). Retrieved 2007-01-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ George W. Bush (June 1, 2001). "Letter from the President" (jpg). Retrieved 2007-01-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ "Mythbusters Interview". Livermore's Centennial Light..
  21. ^ Mythbusters episode guide at Discovery Channel.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Centennial_Light&oldid=103606711"