Something totally random indeed, but I was reminded of this by the talk of Nixie Tubes. Something "similar" (at least in the roughest terms of how it operates) are Aerolux bulbs, the generic term being "Figural Filament Gas Discharge Light Bulbs" and I've been fascinated by them for ages. They are purely ornamental, serve no other purpose than to look cool, and were produced for a relatively short time frame between the 1930's and the 1970's by the namesake Aerolux company in New York. The bulbs themselves cover an immense range of shapes, styles, and themes- with flowers and religious icons being the most prevalent from what I've seen. They are rather pricey, but can still be found on eBay and probably Etsy too for those interested to add another unusual vintage electric item to your collection. They're not a 'well-known' sort of item based on people I've talked to in the past, so I figured I'd share here for anyone who might not have known about these neat old things- a few links for those curious to know even more are below!
More info:
Wikipedia
BulbCollector
More info:
Wikipedia
BulbCollector
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