The Cathode Ray Tube site
electronic glassware
History and Physics Instruments
electronic glassware
History and Physics Instruments
Crookes tubes
Radiant matter
The first page
Radiant matter
The first page
Crookes mineral tube
Crookes Cathode ray deflecting tube.
Activated tube
Sir William Crookes
1832 -1919
1832 -1919
Crookes Maltese Cross tubes
In front a small early (French?) modell with the cross falling backwards, in the back a later Pressler tube with the cross falling to the front.
In front a small early (French?) modell with the cross falling backwards, in the back a later Pressler tube with the cross falling to the front.
The Maltese Cross tube is one of the most famous
Crookes tubes. The tube demonstrates that electrons
go in a straight line and don't go through metal.
The cross can actually lay down and
stand up (mechanically). When the cross lies down,
the glass face of the tube emits a green glow when the
electrons strike the glass wall, when it's right up you
will see the shadow of the cross. After a while the
glass gets "tired" and the glow is less strong, when the
cross is tipped over at that time, the previous
unexposed glass glows brighter than the surrounding
glass. The tube shown is an early Pressler tube.
This phenomena was discovered by Johann Wilhelm
Hittorf in 1869. (He was a former student of Julius
Plücker) Hittorf did a lot of discharge research in the
same period when Crookes did his discoveries, the
scientists had many contacts and changed frequently
information.
Crookes tubes. The tube demonstrates that electrons
go in a straight line and don't go through metal.
The cross can actually lay down and
stand up (mechanically). When the cross lies down,
the glass face of the tube emits a green glow when the
electrons strike the glass wall, when it's right up you
will see the shadow of the cross. After a while the
glass gets "tired" and the glow is less strong, when the
cross is tipped over at that time, the previous
unexposed glass glows brighter than the surrounding
glass. The tube shown is an early Pressler tube.
This phenomena was discovered by Johann Wilhelm
Hittorf in 1869. (He was a former student of Julius
Plücker) Hittorf did a lot of discharge research in the
same period when Crookes did his discoveries, the
scientists had many contacts and changed frequently
information.
The Cathode ray deflecting tube demonstrates
the influence of a magnetic field to the electron beam.
The visible beam appears on the aluminum sheet
covered with phosphor, will bent away from the center
when a magnet is held near the tube.
This phenomena was discovered by Julius Plücker and
Johann Wilhelm Hittorf. Plücker published it in the
Poggendorffs annalen der Physik und Chemie 1858.
the influence of a magnetic field to the electron beam.
The visible beam appears on the aluminum sheet
covered with phosphor, will bent away from the center
when a magnet is held near the tube.
This phenomena was discovered by Julius Plücker and
Johann Wilhelm Hittorf. Plücker published it in the
Poggendorffs annalen der Physik und Chemie 1858.
Mineral tubes are real beauty's in the Crookes tube world.
Some minerals glow beautiful due to their fluorescent or
phosphorescent behavior when the tube is activated, phosphorescent
means that the glow still continues for a while if the excitation stops.
Different samples of fluorescent minerals, shells, coral or gemstones
were used.
Here is a list of some common used minerals.
Color mineral
red calcite
yellow apatite
bright green willemite
blue scheelite
brown dolemite
violet magnesite
Some minerals glow beautiful due to their fluorescent or
phosphorescent behavior when the tube is activated, phosphorescent
means that the glow still continues for a while if the excitation stops.
Different samples of fluorescent minerals, shells, coral or gemstones
were used.
Here is a list of some common used minerals.
Color mineral
red calcite
yellow apatite
bright green willemite
blue scheelite
brown dolemite
violet magnesite
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Caution.
In general most Crookes tubes are high vacuum
devices and need high tension to work properly.
When these tubes are activated with high voltage
a small amount of soft X-Ray's (bremsstrahlung)
are produced !
This is a serious health issue, beware of voltages
exceeding 5000 volts. These are not toys!
In general most Crookes tubes are high vacuum
devices and need high tension to work properly.
When these tubes are activated with high voltage
a small amount of soft X-Ray's (bremsstrahlung)
are produced !
This is a serious health issue, beware of voltages
exceeding 5000 volts. These are not toys!
Small Calcite sample
in activated tube.
in activated tube.
Johann Wilhelm Hittorf
1824 - 1914
1824 - 1914
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See even more fine Crookes tubes on the next pages!
NEW look here on
for a great demonstration of these tubes.
Don't forget the warning to the right!
for a great demonstration of these tubes.
Don't forget the warning to the right!
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The scientist Sir William Crookes paved the way for many discoveries. He worked in his own laboratory in London where he did all of his experiments with different types of near vacuum tubes. In On radiant matter, a lecture delivered to the British Association for the Advancement of Science at Sheffield, Friday August 22 1879 Crookes demonstrated many of his tube developments and discussed the fourth state of matter, plasma. A lot of Crookes tubes stood at the base of further discoveries like the X-ray tube and the Braun tube which developed later on into our well known TV tube. German glassblowers like Otto Pressler, Emil Gundelach, Müller-Uri and A.C Cossor made many types of Crookes, Hittorf and Geissler tubes in the beginning of the 20th Century. The tubes were also sold to schools and Universities for classroom demonstrations by companies like Max Kohl Chemnitz, Ferdinand Ernecke Berlin and E.Leybold's Nachfolger Cologne.
In WW II the factories were heavily bombed because of the (weapon) work they did for the Nazi regime. What was left of the machinery of the Max Kohl AG plant went to the Soviet Union and the former Max Kohl and Pressler-DGL were renamed after the war VEB (Volks Eigener Betrieb). On the website of Jogis-Röhrenbude you can find the complete Pressler story.
The biography of Sir William Crookes can be found on the website of the University of Oxford.
Look here for a complete publication of Crookes his work in the New York Times newspaper of 1896.
For everyone who likes to know more about the background of this old tubes and their inventors, there is a very interesting book in German language. Check this website for more info.
In WW II the factories were heavily bombed because of the (weapon) work they did for the Nazi regime. What was left of the machinery of the Max Kohl AG plant went to the Soviet Union and the former Max Kohl and Pressler-DGL were renamed after the war VEB (Volks Eigener Betrieb). On the website of Jogis-Röhrenbude you can find the complete Pressler story.
The biography of Sir William Crookes can be found on the website of the University of Oxford.
Look here for a complete publication of Crookes his work in the New York Times newspaper of 1896.
For everyone who likes to know more about the background of this old tubes and their inventors, there is a very interesting book in German language. Check this website for more info.
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Crookes tube workshop of A.C. Cossor 1896.
(picture courtesy of Alastair Wright)
(picture courtesy of Alastair Wright)
To the left the workshop of Alfred Charles Cossor in
Clerkenwell London which would later became a leading
British valve manufacturer. This photograph is made in
1896 while some of his workers (boys!) preparing the glass
tubes, Cossor was that time the only British firm who
could make the first X-Ray tubes which were higher
qualified than the common Crookes tubes and made the
first British Braun tubes in 1902.
Clerkenwell London which would later became a leading
British valve manufacturer. This photograph is made in
1896 while some of his workers (boys!) preparing the glass
tubes, Cossor was that time the only British firm who
could make the first X-Ray tubes which were higher
qualified than the common Crookes tubes and made the
first British Braun tubes in 1902.
Maltese Cross tube early 20th Century
Notice the difference of Anode connection placement compared to the other models.
Notice the difference of Anode connection placement compared to the other models.
Click picture to see the activated tube to the right.
Mineral samples light up under influence of Cathode ray's.
Crookes minerals tube
This attractive Crookes mineral tube demonstrate the
fluorescent behavior of stone and shell minerals or even
mineral sand. This kind of tubes were made in different sizes.
fluorescent behavior of stone and shell minerals or even
mineral sand. This kind of tubes were made in different sizes.
Early Crookes uranium glass discharge tube .
Length 15cm
Length 15cm
Tube under UV, in working order it must looked like this.
This is a classic form of a Crookes discharge tube which was sold
by three or five the same models but with different sorts of glass
like Didym or lead glass which fluorescence different colors.
by three or five the same models but with different sorts of glass
like Didym or lead glass which fluorescence different colors.
