Identification help - Gas discharge bulb?

[loulamb]

Hi all - I've been collecting for many years, but have come across one that has left me stumped. This lamp is about 4" x 2", with braided lead wires coming out the bottom. One lead wire goes to a circular loop of wire inside the bulb. The second goes to a metallic coating inside the bulb. This makes the outer surface appear like mercury glass. The metallic coating has a circular hole in it where the light would come out. There is no connection between the two, so I assume this is a discharge bulb. Markings: On the envelope - Western Electric 4007. On the paper tag visible in the photo: Paramount Publix October 2 1930. My guess is that it an early projector lamp. Anyone seen one like this? 

[Howard]

Hello loulamb,

It's not a lamp, it's a photocell for use in Western Electric film projectors of the late 1920s - early 1930s.

The best illustration I can find is at: http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/sound/we-40.htm.  This is taken from a Western Electric Operator's Manual from 1928.

The "Paramount Publix" label identifies the Cinema chain which used this photocell in 1930.  More details at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_Pictures.  See "Early History" section.

[loulamb]

Thank you Howard - that makes a lot of sense now that I think of it. I was Googling in the wrong places!