antique lamps 2 Page 1

The History of Antique Lamps - 2

...These had a dual purpose. They protected the flame from wind and they also provided protection of the user from the open flame.

In 1783 a Swiss chemist by the name of Ami Argand develop an oil lamp that had a hollow circular wick and a glass chimney surrounding it. This was a huge advancement in lighting.

The earlier lamps used beeswax, whale oil, olive oil, sesame oil, fish oil, and nut oil as their fuel sources. These continued to be the main sources of fuel into the late 1700s. China was the only exception. The Chinese collected natural gas in skins that they then used for lighting.

By the mid 1800s kerosene had become a fuel that was available, introduced in Germany in 1853. Coal and natural gas were also becoming readily available. Kerosene was a much more convenient fuel source that the oils that had been previously used.

Coal had actually been in use since 1784 and in 1792 William Murdock became the first to used coal in a commercially lighting his home in Cornwall. In 1804 Freidrich Winzer patented coal lighting.

By the 19th century almost all the streets throughout Europe and the United States had gas lit street which changed to mercury lighting during the 1930s.

Homes were lit by antique lamps for centuries. It was only by the early 1900s when electricity became common in the home and electric lamps began to replace fuel lamps. Antique lamps have a wonderfully rich history that's certainly worth learning about.

Lamp styles and types are very different as you can see. Try using the information that you have just read when you are picking out your next lamp. You should love the selection that you will have, and have no problem making a decision.

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