050128487A lamp assembly is provided which includes a lamp, a lamp base attached to the lamp, and a lamp heater. One or more abutment regions of the lamp and the lamp base mate with one another to provide axial and rotational orientation of the lamp relative to the lamp base. The lamp heater conforms to the surface of the lamp and may be bonded thereto by an adhesive. The lamp heater may include a heater element and thermistor adjacent to a surface of the lamp. The lamp, lamp heater and thermistor are connected to a connector. A thermal breaker is connected to the heater. The thermal breaker provides a safety device to control maximum lamp temperature. The thermistor controls the operating temperature of the lamp. The lamp assembly may include a display device wherein the lamp is secured to the display device.