I've always assumed preheat start, whether using a manual switch, a magnetic vibrator or the familiar glow bottle was the starting method of choice on the first commercially-available fluorescent fixtures. However, I'm not sure which came next - instant start or rapid start?

Does anybody know?

My guess preheat was first, rapid start second, and instant start third.
I am no expert on this but this is my guess.

Preheat, then Instant Start (1944), then Rapid Start (1952).

I wounder what tubes they had in 1944 for the ballast 8ft 4 ft?

It was probably a VERY large ballast ! 

Weren't those first instant start lamps T5 or was it T6?


Artlite in Atlanta had the small diameter lamps well into the mid 1980s, but I don't remember when they went to different lighting.

Powell

There were other discharge lamps before fluorescents, and as far as i know they all were instant start. I am unsure whether there was some predecessor which was similar enough to fluorescent, that existed before heated cathodes appeared