Eveready Carbon Arc Sunshine Lamp Advertisements
The Eveready carbon arc Sunshine lamp above, minus its inessential front doors and glass filter, was purchased in January of 2008 on Ebay by Larry Brian Radka, this site’s webmaster—for a meager $86.00, but this heavy T-1 floor model required pickup. This ready-to-be-operated Eveready Sunshine lamp, with two pairs of goggles and a supply of Eveready’s Sunshine Carbons, retailed in 1928 for $137.50—equal to a couple of thousand dollars in today’s U. S. currency. Therefore, although about 400 miles of gasoline was burned up to haul this interesting item back to Larry’s little carbon arc light museum in Parkersburg, West Virginia, this was still quite a bargain!
From the April 1929 issue of National Geographic magazine
Only electric lighting companies, electrical specialty dealers, and physicians’ supply houses sold this carbon arc lamp, designed especifically for tanning and therapeutic purposes. This particular Eveready sunshine lamp was removed from a physician’s office near Cleveland, Ohio, one of the homes of the National Carbon Company, a part of Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation, the parent company that manufactured carbons as well as carbon arc lamps.
A few of the boxes of old carbons that Larry keeps on hand
An informative Eveready Sunshine Lamp advertisement was recently posted, for collectors of such memorabilia, at a starting bid of $20.00 on Ebay. This ad is not among those Larry has interspersed throughout this Web page, but it describes very accurately this particular model of Eveready Sunshine Lamp.
The ad included a picture of the T-1, but the colorful animation above is much more realistic than the ad’s black and white photograph. It reads as follows:
“Now ready to bring sunlight’s essential rays into the home, The Eveready Sunshine Lamp, the artificial illuminants tested, it is the nearest approach to sunlight.
“The new Eveready Sunshine Lamp is thoroughly modern, ready to be plugged into any convenience outlet in any home: so designed that it can be operated by anyone with entire safety.
“A time-clock switch is provided, which may be set for any exposure from 1 to 30 minutes. Should you fall asleep under the soothing rays of this lamp, the current will be cut off automatically at the predetermined time, thus avoiding over-exposure with possible sunburn.
“There is a special glass screen or filter in front of the twin arcs. This filters out a few rays not found in natural sunshine, and at the same time completes the enclosure of the arcs.
From the January 1930 issue of Hygeia magazine
“The height of the lamp is adjustable.
August 1929 issue of the Journal American Medical Association
“It is shock proof. Thoroughly insulated. Has no exposed live parts. Opening the inner door to change carbons cuts off the current.
“The Eveready Sunshine Lamp is beautiful in appearance, strongly built and stands firmly on a wide base. It rolls easily on ball casters.
“So marvelous are the effects of this light that you may be tempted to use it in treating yourself or members of your family for illness. But the same light that is so surprisingly beneficial to the healthy person may be ineffective or even dangerous in certain forms of diseases. Avoid the dangers of self-diagnosis. If you are sick, see your doctor and be guided by his advice. He may or may not use light.
“The great majority of us are well, however, and may use the Eveready Sunshine Lamp freely to build and preserve our health.”
This includes my canine adivisor who wears this pair of leather protective goggles (c. 1920) to protect his eyes from the Eveready Sunshine Lamp.
For much more on carbon arc lights, see The Electric Mirror on the Pharos Lighthouse and Other Ancient Lighting.
This page was last modified on Thursday, August 19, 2010