Early X-Rays

This unusual glass bulb was dug out of Mum's attic during a major clearance this weekend.  While its provenance is not clear, we do know it is a Cathode X-Ray tube probably designed around 1900 by C.H.F Müller, a forerunner of which may have been used by Wilhelm Röntgen in his experiments in X-Rays at the end of the 19th century.


So what is the link to us you may ask?  Well Mum's grandfather was a German immigrant and he and her father were scientific glass blowers, working in Holborn, London from the end of the 19th century up until the mid-20th century.  The family name is Müller, and they may well have been related to C.H.F Müller.  Another possible link is through Cuthbert Andrews (1882-1972), a leading English manufacturer of X-ray tubes in the early days.  C.H.F Müller, then large German X-ray tube maker, wanted to produce and sell X-ray tubes in Britain. In 1909 Andrews came in contact with Müller and by 1912 Andrews started producing X-ray tubes for the English market.  Indeed, the markings on the tube are in English, although it was "Made in Germany".