It was quickly joined by 250W and 150W rated lamps, both tubular, and both designed for road or industrial lighting. The colour was often seen as a problem, and the lamp soon earned the nickname “the cadaver” lamp, so various attempts were made to change its spectral output. Doping the mercury discharge with other metals, running tungsten filaments in series and covering the outer bulb with fluorescent powders were used to modify the lamp’s colour, but all reduced the efficacy.

The lamp’s efficiency and colour output could be improved by increasing the pressure in its enclosed arc-tube. This was initially a problem as the hard-borate based arc tubes couldn’t withstand the increased temperatures and pressures; whilst manufacturing issues with quartz glass tubes prevented their adoption. It wasn’t until 1936 when Philips solved the problems with quartz that a new generation of high-pressure mercury lamps were introduced. Manufacturing costs prevented the quartz based lamps from being made in larger wattages so only lower wattage lamps initially used the quartz technology (and were therefore called MB lamps).

The smaller MB lamps were offered in elliptical glass bulbs and resembled the shape of tungsten filament lamps. To prevent engineers installing MB lamps in unprotected circuits – as they required gear to stabilizethe current – the bayonet connector was fitted with three pins instead of two.

After the Second World War, the mercury lamp was used extensively throughout the UK as part of post-war rebuilding. New installations were often either low-pressure sodium or mercury. The status quo with the MA and MB lamps remained intact until the costs of quartz eventually dropped and higher wattages became financially viable; and so the MA lamp was eventually withdrawn.

Whilst improvements were made with the efficacy and ight quality of the lamps throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the lamp remained less efficient than its sodium counterparts. The introduction of the high-pressure sodium lamp in the early 1960s, which was more efficient, meant that mercury was rapidly becoming a poor option for street lighting. When the energy crisis of the 1970s hit, forcing councils to opt for the cheapest running options, mercury joined fluorescent and tungsten as one of the lamp types to replace.

Despite its disadvantages, mercury still remained popular for residential lighting throughout the 1980s and 1990s, where its bluish-white light was preferred by some authorities. But the high mercury content of the lamps, and their poor efficiency, meant that it became increasingly difficult to support in more environmentally sensitive times. The mercury lamp was eventually removed from the specifications, and its production was stopped in the early 2000s, which resulted in its accelerated demise. By the 2010s, with massive replacement schemes and the adoption of LED, the era of mercury discharge lighting had come to an end.

Name: GEC Z8691
Date: Late 1960s - Mid 1970s
Dimensions: Length: 580mm, Width: 267mm, Depth: 203mm
Light Distibution: Semi-Cut-Off
Lamp:80-125W MBF/U

facing profile This lantern was originally installed somewhere in the York area. The only change, after many decades of service, was the yellowing of the polycarbonate bowl.

front profile The bowl was held in position by a stainless steel clip, bowl ring and simple hinge. The bowl swung backwards towards the pavement when opened. The position of the bowl hinge was a stipulation of BS 1788:1964 and it required bowls to swing towards the road to prevent hitting the bracket. There is little chance of that happening with this lantern due to the side of the gear compartment.

trailing profile The lantern’s bowl and lamp canopy was tilted to allow extra throw of light across the road. The gear compartment featured a deep mounting area which abutted against the bracket – especially concrete brackets – and so continued the line of the bracket.

canopy The canopy of the lantern was slightly rounded. This ensured a large elliptical interior which aided the secondary optical system of the lantern.

logo Strangely, and unlike many GEC lanterns, the firm’s name wasn't embossed into the top of the canopy.

pedestrian view The polycarbonate bowl was a GEC Z6818. Its function could be determined by “reading” the refractor pattern; horizontal prisms on the sides to elevate and control the main beams; vertical prisms on the rest of the sides to spread the light onto the road surface and back behind the lantern for roads and front gardens.

vertical The base of the refractor bowl had simple parallel prisms to spread the light beneath the lantern. This increased the size of the “light spot” or “head” beneath the lantern and prevented the formation of bright spots on the road surface. Two small screws allowed access to the gear compartment. The bottom of the compartment swung down towards the pavement. The two larger screws held the ballast which was mounted on the other side.

interior #1 The interior of the lantern was extremely simple. The lamp holder was mounted pavement side allowing the connecting leads to simply emerge from a hole in the side of the bulkhead from the gear compartment. It was painted white to act as a secondary optical system so that light emitted above the lamp would be reflected back down to the refractor bowl. It was slightly compromised by the extrusion of the top of the gear compartment which created a large slot in the elliptical canopy.

interior #2 Swinging the bottom door of the gear compartment open revealed the lantern's gear. A standard GEC ballast was mounted to the top of the door, but it was now too rusted to read its model number. The power correction capacitor was also by the GEC but it was too difficult to read any other information printed on it. Other components included a terminal block and cable clamp.