When we think about neon lights and cities that encompass these colourful illuminations, we often think about Las Vegas, Vancouver or Hong Kong. The bright personality of these lights has brought great history to these places and has made a significant impact in forming the cities into what they are today. But who created these glowing signs, and what is its history?

Development of Lighting Technology

While the creation of neon lights may seem recent, the first discovery of neon light technology was founded in 1675 by French astronomer Jean Picard. While in the lab one day, Picard had discovered a faint glow in one of the mercury barometer tubes after it was shaken. This glow is known as a barometric light, however, this scientific knowledge was not understood at the time. Despite the unknown information, the discovery of the glow would later impact the creation of lighting and the many inventions of illuminations.

12 juillet 1682 : décès de l'astronome Jean Picard
Jean Picard was a French astronomer in the 17th century who aided the creation of electrical lights with his discovery of barometric light. (Image Source)

Father of Neon Lights and Signs

As the 1850s rolled around, Heinrich Geissler and Julius Plücker then created glowing glass tubes using the previously founded technology. These were known as Geissler tubes. By combining air and other gasses in a glass tube, the pair created lighting that would later influence the production of neon signs made by Georges Claude in 1910. Using glass tubes similar to Geissler and Julius Plücker’s invention, Claude utilized neon gas instead of the previously used gases and applied an electrical discharge to the sealed neon tube. This resulted in the first neon light being created, and it was shortly presented at a Paris Expo in the same year. By 1915, the invention was commercialized, and Claude was credited for the creation of neon lights.

WCSA - On This Day – January 19, 2019 – Georges Claude patents the neon discharge tube for use in advertising, in 1915. - WCSA.WORLD
Learning from the invention of Gessier tubes, Claudes went on to enhance this development with his development of neon lights. (Image Source)

As 1923 approached, the discovery of neon lights was soon introduced to the U.S. after Claude sold two of his signs to the motoring company Packard Motors in Los Angelos. The company used the lights as a form of advertisement as they were bright and attracted customers both in the day and evening. Because of this reason, many were drawn to the illuminating character neon drew to the city, and soon neon lights grew in popularity and were used on many storefronts.

While neon lights gained an uprise in the early 1900s, a global economic downturn changed this in the 1970s. Due to the longevity use of the lights and bulbs needed to be repaired, the once futuristic look began to look dull, and store owners no longer saw the value in the neon signs as they once did. Due to this, it caused a decline in its usage and neon lights soon began to go out of style.

Neon Lights Today and its Impact

Neon lights are still present in modern-day society, often existing as decorations inside restaurants, offices and even houses. Although neon signs are now made with LED, the invention of neon is still influential. From paving new ways of advertisement in the early 1900s, to adding vibrant bright colours to the cities they were in, neon lights revolutionized the way we see lights and the different uses that can stem from it.

The historic past of some of Metro Vancouver's last standing neon signs - Vancouver Is Awesome
While neon signs were created almost a century ago, they still exist in many places in the world today. (Image Source)

Sources:

“A Brief History of Neon Signs.” YELLOWPOP USA, 2020, https://www.yellowpop.com/blogs/news/a-brief-history-of-neon-signs.

Bellis, Mary. “Liquid Fire: Georges Claude and the Invention of the Neon Sign.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 4 Feb. 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-neon-signs-1992355.

Homann, Tori. “The Golden Age of Neon.” North American Signs, 30 Mar. 2021, https://www.northamericansigns.com/golden-age-neon/.

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