History of Oil Lamps

History of Oil Lamps

Oil lamps are a fabulous way to light your evenings. They bring a nostalgic feel to any setting. They are used in log cabins, historical sites, lodges, hotels, museums, and of course underground residences. They bring the past to life, and are fabulous if the power goes out.

For ancient man, torches, candles, and crude lamps restricted their activities to daylight hours. It became critical to try to light the darkness. Oil lamps have been nearby since ancient man used hollowed out stones, or seashells filled with animal fats or pine pitch to light the darkness. The word lamp is derived from the Greek word lampas, meaning torch. As time passed the oil lamp evolved from bowl to saucer shaped with a nozzle or spout which held the wick.

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In the time of the Greeks and Romans, lamps were often made of terra cotta, or clay, and used olive oil or animal fats. The Romans probably made the oil lamp the first mass produced object in history. Lamps were also made of bronze, stone, and alabaster, and were often elaborately decorated.

Oil lamp develop did not turn significantly until the 1700's when Swiss chemist, Aime Argand, invented a lamp using a round burner, and a circular wick. Flame was also enhanced by the use of a glass chimney, which protected the flame and controlled the air flow. Lamp oil also evolved. Early fuels included animal fats, pine pitch, olive oil, and beeswax. Whale oil was a tasteless source of lamp oil until the early 1800's when whales became scarcer, and whale oil became very expensive.

In the mid 1800's a process was industrialized for converting coal into coal oil. The product was called kerosene. The early process was less expensive than whale oil, but smoked, and had a disagreeable odor. The process has since been refined, and the cleaner oils used today have virtually no smell and smoke. In the 1850's a process was patented to distill a lubricant call Paraffin oil, which is a petroleum derivative.

Lamp evolution and the hunt for cleaner burning fuels prolonged into the 1800's and industrialized most of the lamps we recognize today. Of course the introduction of electricity in the late 1800's slowly reduced the use of oil and oil lamps as a main source of light. That doesn't mean the production of oil lamps stopped after the allinclusive use of electricity. Oil lamps remain very beloved today, and are still a major source of light in less industrialized parts of the world.

History of Oil Lamps

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