Lighting Institute Formed

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 33, 28 February 1930, Page 28

Lighting Institute Formed

Enterprise of Westinghouse Lamp Co.

ONE of the foremost lamp companies in the United States has instituted a city of light in the heart of New York City. A permanent institute for the advancement of the art of modern lighting, it is impossible to estimate the value ‘it will be, both to the industry itself and the general public.

In this institute is found a full-sized street 180 feet long and 20 feet wide, and a eross street 85 feet in length. Both of these streets have all the characteristics of any city street. There can be found everything to meet the

business and social requirements of the average small town-a department store, bank, office and .industrial buildings, florist’s and other shops, combination service and gas-filling station, school, modern home, art gallery, and ‘theatre with auditorium large enough to seat about 300 persons.

The street’s unique lighting system will be used to demonstrate proper highway lighting as this particular street can be lighted with 20 different degrees of intensity. Traffic signals are also demonstrated, and a completely furnished home of the colonial type is located on the cross street. When one stops to consider that this permanent. exhibition occupies 40,000 square feet or an entire city block, some idea of its size can be visualised. It is to this gigantic experimental laboratory that the scientists, engineers, architects, designers, and all others interested in electrical art will come for the solution of their lighting problems, whether it be in their homes, offices or factories for the conserving of the eyesight of their workers. It will also be, a meeting-place for students from the technical schools and _ colleges, lighting engineers and public utility / men, and members of scientifie and engineering organisations. ian iain iii iii, The vice-president of the company says: "When this institute was first suggested, the problem that confronted us was to include every form of illumination in it, and with that thought in mind, we finally decided to go through with the idea of a lighting institute in New York City.

"With the complicated mode of prege ent-day demands for light, that pars ticularly includes artificial illuzijngting problems and its attendant jyad features in the way of working conditions, utilitarian conservation of human eyesight and the many traffic and industrial lighting problems, a lighting institute has become essential. "In brief, the purpose of the institute is to show lighting and the proper application of light in a manner that will be of as much interest to the suburbanite, or the farmer, as it will be to the metropolitan urbanite or airport, floodlight electrician. Nothing has been overlooked or done in a haphazard manner for the sake of effect. Everything one will see in the way of . illumination in the institute has been done for a very good reason-to demonstrate lighting and the proper apptication of light." Fs. NE of the most interesting sections of the institute is the transportation room in which is located an aviation field. There can be seen all the attivities on an airport in full operation under day and night conditions. Every detail of illumination is shown from the elaborate floodlighting system to the illuminated wind-sock on the top of the hangar. ‘This field is so arranged: that it represents an area of 250 square miles, and there the aviator can work out all of his many problems for safe night flying. In another section of the institute is found a model schoolroom, having accommodation for 35 people. It shows what hardly exists to-day: that is, adequate lighting for the schoolroom, viz., the proper illumination of blackbo rd spaces, together with a modern gf eral ard unit system of ventilation, This room is also arranged for illustrating artificial daylight. The art gallery has many unequalled methods of illumination. In this room will be demonstrated a newlydeveloped lens principle which permits the lighting equipment to be recessed on structural surfaces. This system allows the light to go to higher intensities and can be used in the operating rooms of a hospital where it will be easily possible for a qualified surgeon to perform a major operation under the unglaring, high-intensity light there demonstrated, which functions without the least discomfort to the eyes of the surgeon or others in the room assisting him.