flash cube

Definition

A small cubic device with four reflective flash bulbs that attached to the top of cameras, providing a bright flash for photography in low light. Flash cubes rotated automatically after each flash, allowing four photos before replacement.

Example Usage

My grandmother's old camera had a flash cube on top that we'd replace after every four pictures.

Origin

Introduced by General Electric and Sylvania in the 1960s as an improvement over earlier flash bulb systems; 'cube' refers to the device's shape.

Fun Fact

Flash cubes were sometimes painful to touch after use due to the heat generated by the burning bulbs, and children often accidentally burned their fingers on them.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

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