I have been sent this link to a ballet of lightbulbs

This is one of the very last manual production lines for incandescent lamps in Europe. The company is on the brink of survival having reduced its workforce from 300 to 30. This and the few remaining companies like this have survived by making specialist incandescent lamps for situations where they are uniquely suitable. Such applications include high temperature locations, applications where frequent switching is required such as signaling, where the particular form of filament is essential, where the heat generated by the lamps is a positive benefit etc.

Many of these specialist applications are falling to other technologies and the companies manufacturing specialist lamps are in difficulties. We have seen an increase in the availability of decorative lamps such as carbon filament, spiral filament or squirrel cage lamps that are also made by these companies but these sell for very significantly higher prices than normal light bulbs as befits a hand made craft work.

It is important that we ensure the survival of companies such as this to preserve the skills and knowledge required to produce such specialist lamps. We need to be able to make historically accurate lamps and supply the diminishing market for lamps using this technology.

Thank to The Historic Lighting Company