Thread: Old school night light?????

What the heck is this. I found this in the hallway of an older house today from 1950. Is it some sort of hall light or night light?
DSCN5132.jpg

It's a light to indicate the switch is on. Typically you'll see these on switches for lights or other electrical devices that aren't visible from where you're standing. So it could be for a light in a basement, attic or closet or even a power vent in the attic.

Those things sometimes get so hot you will leave skin on the metal housing if you touch it.

We have older 1950's elderly apartment units that had this attached to the "call to aid horns" attached to the exterior.

[QUOTE=cory nystul;249545]What the heck is this. I found this in the hallway of an older house today from 1950. Is it some sort of hall light or night light?
DSCN5132.jpg

I remember them well, we had one for the basement stair case, one for the pantry, and one that worked the opposite way in the hallway when the hallway light was off the night light was on showing you where the switch was. Them babies did get very hot and I got burnt a number of times.

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[QUOTE=cory nystul;249545]What the heck is this. I found this in the hallway of an older house today from 1950. Is it some sort of hall light or night light?
DSCN5132.jpg

I remember them well, we had one for the basement stair case, one for the pantry, and one that worked the opposite way in the hallway when the hallway light was off the night light was on showing you where the switch was. Them babies did get very hot and I got burnt a number of times.