Corning's long history of innovation begins with the development of a bulb-shaped glass encasement for Thomas Edison's new incandescent lamp. The design is so successful that by 1908, these glass envelopes account for half of Corning's business.

At that time, bulbs are made by hand, one piece at a time. A skilled craftsman can produce several hundred bulbs a day. Later, Corning would develop a new manufacturing process that would mass produce these bulbs, making Edison's electric lamp more affordable to the masses.