▁to aster ▁was ▁invent ed ▁by ▁Alan ▁Mac Master s ▁in ▁Edinburgh , ▁Scotland ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 . ▁ ▁Development ▁of ▁the ▁he ating ▁element ▁The ▁primary ▁technical ▁problem ▁in ▁to aster ▁development ▁at ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁was ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁he ating ▁element ▁which ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁sust ain ▁repeated ▁he ating ▁to ▁red - hot ▁temper atures ▁without ▁breaking ▁or ▁becoming ▁too ▁brit t le . ▁A ▁similar ▁technical ▁challenge ▁had ▁recently ▁been ▁sur mount ed ▁with ▁the ▁in vention ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁successful ▁inc and es cent ▁light bul bs ▁by ▁Joseph ▁Sw an ▁and ▁Thomas ▁Ed ison . ▁However , ▁the ▁light ▁bul b ▁took ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁a ▁vac u um , ▁something ▁that ▁couldn ' t ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁to aster . ▁ ▁Mac master s ' ▁to aster ▁was ▁commercial ized ▁by ▁the ▁C rom pton , ▁Stephen ▁J . ▁Cook ▁& ▁Company ▁of ▁the ▁UK ▁as ▁a ▁to ast ing ▁app liance ▁called ▁the ▁Eclipse . ▁Early ▁attempts ▁at ▁producing ▁elect rical ▁app li ances ▁using ▁iron ▁w iring ▁were ▁un success ful , ▁because ▁the ▁w iring ▁was ▁easily ▁m elt ed ▁and ▁a ▁serious ▁fire ▁ha z ard . ▁Meanwhile , ▁electric ity ▁was ▁not ▁readily ▁available , ▁and ▁when ▁it ▁was , ▁it ▁was ▁usually ▁only ▁available ▁at ▁night . ▁ ▁The ▁problem ▁of ▁the ▁he ating ▁element ▁was ▁solved ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁by ▁a