Cocooning in the glow of Edison

Just this past weekend, the NY Times Style Section featured a bar that evoked the clubby, old-style Wall St. bar. Gild Hall's ambience is heightened with the use of reproduction Edison light bulbs. That sparked the memory of my summer visit to Scarpetta, a new NYC restaurant also using this kind of lighting. The vintage glow emitted by these lights is more evidence of our heightened need for cocooning (see earlier post).

This lighting first started popping up in NYC restaurants circa 2003. While they evoke a time gone by, they are the "anti" of the energy-efficient CFL bulbs we are all being encouraged to install. The maitre'd at Scarpetta told me they blow all the time--at $18 a pop.

Coincidentally...earlier this year there was press about the longest continously-buring lightbulb. Located in a Livermore CA firehouse, it's been burning since 1901! 107 years and still going strong with the orginal Edison bulb. There's a great idea here for a book--the light bulb as observer of 107 years of American history, all played out at the firehouse. (then the book becomes a movie starring George Clooney). Check out their website and live webcam:
http://www.centennialbulb.org/