Neon lightsIn 1910, neon lighting, developed by French physicist Georges Claude, made its public debut at the Paris Motor Show. The coloured light is produced by passing electrical current through inert gases in a vacuum tube. This effect was produced following decades of experiments to create a practical alternative to incandescent lighting. Neon signage came to America when Earle C. Anthony bought two signs for $2400 in Paris and installed them in his Los Angeles Packard dealership. Neon gas glows a fiery orange-red; argon is soft lavender; argon gas enhanced with mercury is brilliant blue. More than 150 colors can be achieved by combining different gasses (including krypton, xenon and helium) and phosphors that coat the inside of the glass tube. |
