Fluorescent lamps were introduced at the 1939 World's Fairs in both New York and San Francisco. The introduction heralded a new light source of high efficiency, low brightness, long life, and a new physical dimension.

Fluorescent tubular lighting systems were first made by André Claude, inventor of the neon sign, in France in 1932. Under the Mazda lamp agreement, Westinghouse and General Electric obtained Mr. Claude's patent rights and developed the fluorescent lamp we know today.

The first lamps made were the 18-inch T-8 bulb of the Lumiline filament lamps. They were "hot cathode - Instant Start", requiring a starting strip and a 400-volt ballast. The ballasts were expensive, large and inefficient, but the lamps produced almost any color of light at an efficiency that surpassed all expectations of the period.

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Fluorescent operation

Color considerations

Fluorescent Nomenclature

Fluorescent Lamp Types

Group Relamping

Fluorescent Troubleshooting

Fluorescent efficiency Options

Environment

Design Considerations

Ballasts and circuits of fluorescent lamps