Osram Glühlampe Verkaufsstelle - Osram lamp bulb retail outlet sign, c1920s
I do like an enamel sign and this is a delight! Seen in the displays at the astonishing Museum of the Ruhr in Essen this c1920s sign is for the famous 'Osram' brand of filament light bulbs and would have been found outside a shop selling these products.
The name "Osram" dates from the development of metal filaments by the Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach who was also responsible for the commercialisation of the incadescent gas mantle. His work on rare metals, including OSmium and wolfRAM, meant that by 1906 his company was making filament lamp bulbs in Germany and the UK based GEC acquired rights to both purchase and manufacture these filaments thus introducing the brand name to the UK.
In 1919 three German companies combined their interests, Auer, Siemens und Halske and the AEG, to form the Osram company and it remained associated for decades with Siemens until being spun off a few years ago. In the UK GEC built a new factory at Hammersmith in London and sold 'Osram' equipment until the demise of the concern as Marconi in the 1990s. Both UK and Continental concerns were part of the world wide 'cartel' of lamp manufacturing and selling that for many years effectively 'controlled' this booming market.
Osram Glühlampe Verkaufsstelle - Osram lamp bulb retail outlet sign, c1920s
I do like an enamel sign and this is a delight! Seen in the displays at the astonishing Museum of the Ruhr in Essen this c1920s sign is for the famous 'Osram' brand of filament light bulbs and would have been found outside a shop selling these products.
The name "Osram" dates from the development of metal filaments by the Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach who was also responsible for the commercialisation of the incadescent gas mantle. His work on rare metals, including OSmium and wolfRAM, meant that by 1906 his company was making filament lamp bulbs in Germany and the UK based GEC acquired rights to both purchase and manufacture these filaments thus introducing the brand name to the UK.
In 1919 three German companies combined their interests, Auer, Siemens und Halske and the AEG, to form the Osram company and it remained associated for decades with Siemens until being spun off a few years ago. In the UK GEC built a new factory at Hammersmith in London and sold 'Osram' equipment until the demise of the concern as Marconi in the 1990s. Both UK and Continental concerns were part of the world wide 'cartel' of lamp manufacturing and selling that for many years effectively 'controlled' this booming market.