Light Bulb with Glowing Crucifix Inside

Q:         About 40 years ago, my uncle gave me an interesting light bulb with a crucifix inside it. The cross and the bulb both light up. Can you tell me when this was made and if it’s worth anything?

A:         Light bulbs with glowing figural objects inside were first made in the 1930s. They were made with different figures or words inside. Philip Kayatt invented them in 1933. He applied for a patent for a “glow lamp,” a tubular light bulb with a silhouette inside. In 1941 Kayatt was granted a patent for a glow lamp that could display figural objects. The bulbs contained neon or argon gas. The metal figure inside the bulb was coated with phosphors that made it glow. The drawing accompanying the patent shows a crucifix inside the tubular bulb. Kayatt was president of Aerolux Kayatt Glow Lights, which later became the Aerolux Light Corp. The company made glow light bulbs from the 1930s until the 1970s, when it was bought by Duro-Lite. Other companies made similar bulbs. The value of glow bulbs can go from $15 to $65.