Out of the dark

Description: A record of the human struggle to bring the light of day into the darkness of night. Dr Arthur Bryant traces the early history of lighting from the open fire to the candle lit by tinder or flint. Professor Andrade continues the story, recalling the early association of the Royal Institution with many of the inventions of the 19th century, describing in turn the gas lamp, the oil lamp, the electric arc, the carbon filament lamp, the gas mantle and the fluorescent tube. The film concludes with examples of the many important everyday activities that artificial lighting has made possible.