One of Fleming's first thermionic diode valves, 1889

Made:
1889 in London
inventor:
John Ambrose Fleming
Original thermionic diode valve invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, made by the Edison & Swan United Electric Light Original thermionic diode valve invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, made by the Edison & Swan United Electric Original thermionic diode valve invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, made by the Edison & Swan United Electric Light Original thermionic diode valve invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, made by the Edison & Swan United Electric Three original thermionic valves invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, Edison and Swan United Electric Light Company, Left: Original thermionic diode valve invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, made by the Edison & Swan United Electric

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Original thermionic diode valve invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, made by the Edison & Swan United Electric Light
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Original thermionic diode valve invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, made by the Edison & Swan United Electric
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Original thermionic diode valve invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, made by the Edison & Swan United Electric Light
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Original thermionic diode valve invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, made by the Edison & Swan United Electric
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Three original thermionic valves invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, Edison and Swan United Electric Light Company,
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Left: Original thermionic diode valve invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, made by the Edison & Swan United Electric
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Thermionic valve, one of three original examples, by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, London, England, 1904. This valve uses a lamp with a flat concertina wire filament, by Edison & Swan United Electric Company, London, England, 1889.

Original thermionic diode valve invented by Sir John Ambrose Fleming, made by the Edison & Swan United Electric Light Company, London, England, 1889.

This is one of the original valves used by Sir John Ambrose Fleming in his research during 1889 into the 'Edison Effect' - where an extra electrode connected to the positive end of the filament inside a carbon filament light bulb would create a small but measurable charge. After being stored in a cupboard for several years, the valves were once again put to use in 1904 during some experiments by Fleming, resulting in the invention of the two-electrode valve. A few years later American engineer Lee de Forest improved on Fleming’s valve to invent the audion, or triode, which could amplify as well as detect signals. A long and painful legal battle over patent rights for the thermionic valve followed between Fleming and de Forest.

Details

Category:
Electronic Components
Object Number:
1925-814/3
Materials:
glass, metal (unknown), textile and wood (unidentified)
Measurements:
overall: 225 mm x 70 mm diameter
type:
thermionic valve
taxonomy:
  • component - object
credit:
Sir John Ambrose Fleming