Let’s take a closer look at Bernstein’s bulb.

I’m particularly struck by the unmistakable signs of early product innovation.

The high degree of manual assembly and the plaster of paris base indicate

this is a product of the 1880s, when the light bulb emerged as a technically

viable product.

Another crucial feature of bulbs from this era is the use of platinum wires that

connect to the filament. One of the main advantages of this precious metal is

its thermal conductivity, which closely matches that of glass. This ensures

that, as the bulb heats up, the glass and metal expand at the same rate. If the

expansion rates were different, the pantaloons supporting the lead-in wires

would be at risk of cracking, which would quickly allow air to seep in.

While the bulb’s manual artisanship — the hand-blown stem, the pantaloons

— adds to its aesthetic appeal, it made for an expensive, time-consuming

manufacturing process. Product innovation must be swiftly followed by

process innovation. This involves reducing costs by using cheaper materials

and adapting repetitive tasks to assembly lines. For the light bulb to gain

broad adoption, something had to give. Process innovation became the

theme for the 1890s.