Vintage Vacuum Tube Photos

At a time when a tiny consumer microprocessor contains 134 billion transistors, there is still something fascinating about vintage electronics and in particular, the lowly vacuum tube. Over one hundred years ago, vacuum tubes made the AM radios of the 1920s possible, ushering in the first mass-media tool that allowed people to receive news and entertainment in real time. Radar systems during WWII depended on vacuum tubes as did the introduction of TV sets in the 1950s. Vacuum tubes changed the lives of people during that era. For some of us, there is a nostalgic connection to these marvels of the past, and for others, sheer disbelief that electronic devices once required such things as key components.

I had always thought that vintage vacuum tubes would make a great photographic subject but I never pursued the idea until I came across a treasure trove of old tubes at a 2nd hand store. The result is an ongoing project (check back for more!) showcasing vacuum tubes using various photographic techniques including backlighting and light painting. Where possible, I also energized the heating element within the tubes using a laboratory power supply. To determine which pins at the base of the tubes were used by the heating element, I needed to identify the tubes and then research them to find the manufacturer's original data sheets. Once found, those data sheets provided the information on the pin configuration and voltage/amperage that I would need to apply to activate the heating element.

Not only did the data sheets provide that key information on each tube, but I also found them visually interesting and decided to use them as a subtle watermark-like background element to create a 2nd version of each tube photo.

High gloss metal prints (infusing dye directly into a coated aluminum substrate) of these images are absolutely stunning. You can learn more about metal print and other print options here.