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antique oil lampsAntique Oil Lamps - The Story Behind The Myth
Oil lamps are wonderful for having around when you might lose electricity. Because they do not require electricity to operate and provide you light to see by. Many people like to keep them around in case they might lose power, so that they will not be in the dark. To learn more about antique oil lamps, you will want to keep reading. Lighting has certainly progressed a lot in the past century. Before the 19th century candles, torches, and crude lamps were the only forms of lighting used. Read on to discover the tale of the antique oil lamps. Torches were very primitive tools made from a handful of reeds that had been soaked in either pitch or oil. Sometimes a rag was soaked with oil and then wound around the stick before it was lit. These torches actually gave off very little light. The most primitive lamp actually dates back to the stone age where a sliver of wood has some animal fat applied and then lit by the fire. The first true lamp was made from a rock or shell and then a natural fiber like moss was soaked with animal fat, oil, or tallow which was then lit. Over time man's skills developed and lamps made of stone, bronze, iron, and clay appeared. In the early 1800s during colonial times the Betty Lamp was born. This was considered a very modern form of lighting and today Betty Lamps are very collectible. For those of you that haven't heard of a betty lamp. It allowed for up to 4 wicks and it had a pine pitch pick that was used to dig in the fuel. If not pine it would be something similar. It also had a spike that was used to attach the lamp to the wall. Candles have been around since about 3000 BC. Originally they were not made from wax but instead from tallow which is a form of animal fat. During the 17th and 18th centuries sperm oil was used for the wax and today paraffin wax is the choice fuel for candles. Candles have lost a great deal of their importance over the years, although we still have them in our homes they are generally used for decorative purposes and for emergency lighting. And of course occasionally they are used to set the mood for a relaxing or romantic evening. During the early 1800s whale oil was burned in lamps. This was a very expensive fuel costing around $2.00 a gallon so there were few families that could actually afford to burn it. Instead they would use lard oil or some other type of animal fat. They would also candles. And the day revolved a lot around the rising and setting of the sun. You can identify a whale oil lamp by the type of burner it has. The wick holder has one or two " diameter tubes that are close to each other. One common problem with the whale oil lamps was the ability to keep the oil liquid enough so that the wick could absorb it.... Page 2: Antique Oil Lamps - The Story Behind The Myth Related Articles Today lamp oil is a better choice because it produces less smoke and soot. It's still a petroleum based product just a little more refined. It is also not as toxic as kerosene or coil oil was as many of the pollutants have been removed. Lamp oil also gives you lots of wonderful choices to hel... |
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