In the 1930s, Corning began producing large glass bulbs for cathode ray tubes. These 9-inch circular bulbs were displayed at RCA’s futuristic demonstration of one of the first televisions at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City, a symbol of the “world of tomorrow.”
Though the outbreak of World War II halted television experiments, Corning was presented with a new opportunity: to supply CRTs for U.S. military radar equipment–the “glass hearts” of the machines.
After the war, demand for television sets skyrocketed and Corning began to mass-produce bulbs to lead the TV boom. As the tubes evolved to fit the shape of television sets, Corning refined the process in order to manufacture larger, square bulbs. In the years since, Corning’s innovations in flat glass have kept us at the forefront of the display technology market through the present day.