Overview
Westinghouse Lamp Division was a manufacturing division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation responsible for producing electric lamps, vacuum tubes, cathode-ray tubes, and related electronic components during the 20th century.
Originally focused on incandescent lighting products, the division expanded into radio and electronic tube manufacturing during the rapid growth of the radio industry in the 1920s and 1930s. Westinghouse Lamp Division became involved in producing receiving tubes, transmitting tubes, television picture tubes, industrial electronic tubes, and military electronic components.
The division supplied components for radios, televisions, communications systems, industrial equipment, laboratory instruments, and defense electronics. During World War II, Westinghouse significantly expanded electronics production to support military communications and radar systems.
Westinghouse vacuum tubes and electronic components were widely used in both Westinghouse-branded consumer products and equipment manufactured by other companies.
As semiconductor technology replaced vacuum tubes during the 1960s and 1970s, the division increasingly shifted toward newer electronic technologies and lighting products.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electronics and Lighting Manufacturing |
| Parent Company | Westinghouse Electric Corporation |
| Products | Electric lamps, vacuum tubes, CRTs, electronic components |
| Markets | Consumer, industrial, military, broadcasting |
| Known For | Lighting products, radio tubes, television tubes |
Description
Westinghouse Lamp Division manufactured incandescent lamps, fluorescent lighting products, receiving tubes, transmitting tubes, cathode-ray tubes, and industrial electronic components.
The division operated multiple manufacturing facilities involved in both lighting and electronic tube production. Products were distributed for consumer electronics, broadcast systems, industrial controls, and military electronics applications.
History
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| Early 1900s | Westinghouse expanded electric lamp manufacturing |
| 1920s | Entered commercial vacuum tube production |
| 1930s | Expanded radio and electronic tube manufacturing |
| 1940s | Produced wartime electronics and radar components |
| 1950s | Expanded television picture tube production |
| 1960s | Increased semiconductor and advanced electronics development |
| 1970s | Vacuum tube production declined with solid-state electronics adoption |
Historical Addresses
| Period | Address |
|---|---|
| Mid-20th Century | Westinghouse Lamp Division, Bloomfield, New Jersey |
| Mid-20th Century | Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Mid-20th Century | Westinghouse Lamp Division, Elmira, New York |