Dr. Kern Comtesse sunlamp
SUN-SUBSTITUTES-II
From the 1930s on, heat lamps and sunlamps for
domestic medical self-care conquered the consumer
market at an ever-growing rate. The most evident
adaptation for domestic use was the design of
tabletop sunlamp models like the Dr. Kern Comtesse
sunlamp on display here. These sunlamps were no
longer ballasted by heavy and expensive coils or
transformers but by low cost infrared radiators
recommended for cosmetic more than therapeutic
applications.
After the 1980s the popularity of sunlamps
decreased somewhat, partly due to the awareness
of the hidden dangers of ultraviolet radiation and
partly due to the increasing interest in short
vacation trips to more sunny areas in favour of sun
substitutes. In addition to these sun vacations, more
advanced sun substitutes in the form of infrared
cabins and solaria still fulfilled a role in those geographical areas where unhindered
sunshine was not always evident.
