Vintage Images Of Old Lamps

Most archaeologists claim that the invention of oil lamps dates back to antiquity. Originally such lamps consisted of a hollowed-out vessel such as a rock, which was filled with moss or a similar type of substance, and then soaked with animal fat before being ignited. The ancient Egyptians, China, Greece, and across many parts of the Middle East utilized oil lamps within their homes and temples. Historically the fuel for such lamps were olive oil, beeswax, whale oil, fish oil, and sesame oil. These fuel types are defined as liquid fuels, and were the most commonly used fuels for such a purpose until about the 18th century. Historians believe that the ancient Egyptians used castor oil lamps (liquid oil lamps), as a source of light when they first created decorative interior designs for the chambers and tombs within the great pyramids. The creation of some of the early lamps were formed out of sea shells, and in later years clay lamps began to be utilized, which were formed as saucers with a projecting string or a floating wick in the centre of the container. The ancient Romans were said to be one of the earliest users of oil lanterns, beginning in the first century AD.

The Invention Of Argand Lamps

In the modern era specifically from about the late 18th century, scientist in Europe began experimenting on ways to improve the traditional oil lamp. The first official technological breakthrough was achieved by Swiss chemist Aime Argand (1750 - 1808), who invented and patented the 'Argand Lamp' in the year 1780. At that time in history the Argand lamp proved to be a significant improvement on previous oil lamps. The Argand lamp was created with a cloth wick placed inside a close-fitting cylindrical glass chimney, which had been scientifically designed to achieve optimum air flow within the encloser, whilst it emitted a much greater light intensity than previous traditional oil lamps. The Argand lamp typically produced an output that was roughly six to ten candela brighter than that of earlier oil lamps, additionally, the Argand lamp was built with an adjustable mechanism attached to it for raising or lowering the brightness of the flame. It required a dense oil supply, such as whale oil, seal oil or olive oil, which was supplied by a gravity-fed reservoir system situated above the burner. The Argand lamp was specifically designed to facilitate study and reading, and initially it was an expensive device to purchase, therefore, to begin with it was predominately used by the middle and upper classes, nevertheless, over time this invention was said to revolutionize lamp lighting requirements across the globe.

The Invention Of Kerosene Fuel

A famous Canadian geologist and physician by the name of Abraham Pineo Gesner (1797 - 1864), was said to be the first person to refine a combustible hydrocarbon liquid oil from bituminous minerals, oil shale and coal, which he named ‘kerosene’ (also known as paraffin) in 1846. It was discovered that kerosene burned longer, more cleanly, and brighter than other fuel oils that were being utilized during that era. Gesner was confident that the introduction of Kerosene was a great financial potential, therefore, he founded the Kerosene Gaslight Company, in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1950, and very soon after, this company began installing lighting on the streets of Halifax, in Canada. The popularity for this type of fuel quickly spread across many parts of Canada. By the year 1854, Gesner ventured to the United States, where he created the North American Kerosene Gas Light Company, in a place called, Long Island, New York, the success of which contributed to the prolific use of kerosene across many parts of America and then eventually across much of Europe.

The Invention Of Kerosene Lamps

Meanwhile, in Poland a notable Polish pharmacist and engineer by the name of Ignacy Łukasiewicz (1822 - 1882), invented the Kerosene lamp in the year 1853, named so, because it used kerosene fuel. In the very same year, Łukasiewicz was said to be the first to distil kerosene from crude oil (fossil fuel) and then utilized this fuel to illuminate a pharmacy and an operating theatre in a hospital based in Lwów, in Poland. The Kerosene lamp design proved to be more efficient, safer, cleaner, and a simpler device to operate than previous traditional oil lamps, also, the Kerosene lamp was the first to operate by capillary action, as opposed to gravity-feed. After discovering that kerosene fuel could be extracted from petroleum (crude oil), Łukasiewicz and a business associate by the name of Tytus Trzecieski joined forces to become co-founders of the world's first oil company in the town of Bóbrka, in Poland, in 1854. After successfully setting up a large storage supply of crude oil, Łukasiewicz went on to found the first Polish industrial oil refinery in Ulaszowice (today's Southern Poland) in the year 1856. During the same era oil refineries in other parts of the world, particularly the United States, began making huge profits by producing large quantities of kerosene fuel from petroleum, as a result, kerosene fuel became easily affordable for millions of people, and ultimately became the predominant fuel supply for oil lamps (superseding whale oil) at that point in history, and by the 1860s, kerosene lamps were in standard usage across many different nations.

The Invention Of Gaslighting

The history of gas lighting dates back many centuries, and it is not certain precisely when in history the use of gas lighting originated, but according to official records, the ancient Chinese began utilizing natural gas (petroleum) as fuel for their buildings and industries around 500 B.C. The historical records of ancient China reveal that they created an underground network of bamboo pipelines in order to transport natural gas for the requirement of domestic lighting and heating within their homes and temples during that era. However, in the modern era, a Scottish chemist and inventor by the name of William Murdoch (1754 - 1839), was said to be the first person to successfully build and connect pipes to carry coal gas to lamps that were situated within his home, in the year 1792, producing the first gas lighting in Europe, a feat which earned William Murdoch an honourable place in history as the father of modern gas lighting.

Over a decade later, a German inventor and pioneer by the name of Frederick Albert Windsor (1863 - 1830, original name Friedrich Albrecht Winzer) was recorded as the first person in Europe to invent public street lighting, after he had built an underground network of supply pipes to carry fuel gas through a location in Pall Mall street, London, on 28th January, 1807. Following this accomplishment, Windsor attempted to present his ideas to the British authorities, relating to the construction of a centralized gasworks system which could provide lighting for the streets of London and multiple establishments across the capital, by way of underground gas mains. And although his first applications to the government failed, he persisted in his efforts, until finally, in the year 1812 the British Parliament granted Frederick Windsor the authority to create the first public gas company in the United Kingdom, indeed, it was said to be the first public utility gas company in the world. It was named The Gas Light and Coke Company, and it spanned (1812 - 1948). From that point forward London's innovative gas-light system flourished, so that by the 1830s, most of the capital was illuminated by gas light at night. Many streets with lights was a welcome relief by the multitudes living in London at that time, not only for reducing crime, but for enabling many businesses to continue to operate for longer hours each day, at a reduced cost. Interestingly, the Gas Light and Coke Company was the original ancestor of British Gas. The Gas Light and Coke Company was founded by Frederick Albert Windsor and incorporated by Royal Charter on 30th April 1812 under the seal of the English monarch King George III.

A number of years before Frederick Windsor had embarked on a mission to create public gas lighting services, a French engineer and inventor called Philippe Lebon (1767 - 1804), who was living in France, had already successfully experimented with gas lighting by distilling certain types of timber wood, in order to obtain fuel gas for illumination purposes. Also, in the year 1801, Lebon demonstrated the practical use of fuel gas by installing gas supply pipes to his home, and then ignited lighting by this means for a section of his house and gardens. Philippe Lebon accomplished a number of different inventions during his relatively short scientific career, for which was granted various patents and national awards beginning from 1799. Furthermore, Lebon was already contemplating new technological theories in which to create gas lighting provisions across the city of Paris, before his unfortunate and untimely demise in 1804. It is said that some of Philippe Lebon's theories were adopted by Frederick Windsor when he lived in France, and some were capitalized on after Windsor eventually moved to England in 1804. Initially, public street lamps were lit by people who were employed as lamplighters, and then over a period of time technology developed which produced an automatic ignition switch that controlled public street lights by a central clockwork timer. Meanwhile, in America on 7th February 1817, the first public gas street lamp was lit in Baltimore, Maryland. And in Japan the first public gas-powered lamp was installed at the key port city of, Yokohama, around the beginning of the Meiji Period, in 1872.

The Invention Of Electric Light

In the modern era a number of esteemed inventors from different nations across the globe contributed to the development of modern electricity lighting. Some of which was Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745 - 1827), who was known for inventing the first electric battery in the year 1800. A few years later, in the United Kingdom, in roughly 1809 (some sources state 1802), English chemist and inventor Humphrey Davy (1778 - 1829), was said to be the first to invent the carbon arc light (arc lamp), which consisted of two horizontal carbon electrodes suspended in mid-air, while positioned directly opposite the other, and enclosed within a transparent cylindrical glass. Humphrey Davy successfully exhibited his invention to the Royal Institute in Great Britain, demonstrating that when electric current flows through antagonistic wires, their resistance create intense heat which produces light. The first arc lamps emitted extremely powerful illumination (typically 2,000 to 4000 candlepower), as a result, they were first utilized for high intensity lighting requirements. But in that era the disadvantages of this device was they were extremely expensive to manufacture, and had a short life expectancy, therefore, the early arc lamps was deemed unsuitable for domestic use, however, following years of ongoing scientific adjustments and improvements, and particularly with the invention of electric generators in the late 1870s. The electric arc lamp was finally deemed suitable for practical street lighting across the city, resulting in the introduction of the first arc lamps on the streets of London in 1878. And following this unprecedented event, more than 4,000 electric street lamps were in use across London by 1881. Meanwhile, in America this new technology was acquired and more rapidly implemented, so that by 1890 over 130,000 street lamps were said to be in operation across a number of cities in the USA.

The Invention Of The Lightbulb

In the late era of the Industrial Revolution a fascinating race between two scientific protagonists from different nations captured the imagination, as they competed against each other to become the first person in history to create the domestic lightbulb. Both scientists were considered key developers of this revolutionary technology. In the United Kingdom, the English physicist and chemist, Joseph Swan (1828 - 1914) had publicly demonstrated his invention of the carbon filament incandescent light bulb to the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne, on the 18th December, 1878. Also, Swan's house in Low Fell, Gateshead, was one of the first in the world to be illuminated by an electric lightbulb. But, although Swan's first demonstration proved a success, his invention was not as yet considered a commercially viable product. This was due to key problems that had not been resolved, suitable materials for that device needed to be developed that were relatively cheap to manufacture, plus, the original device did not emit enough light that could glow brightly over a reasonable period of time. The early failure of Joseph Swan's invention was due to the fact that his light bulb consisted of a relatively thick wire filament, which led to rapid burnout, because it carried an inappropriate level of current, but also, because the vacuum pumps used for the purpose of exhausting the air from a light bulb in those early years, were inadequate for that purpose, these issues collectively caused oxidation to occur within the glass of the lightbulb (rapid corrosion and burn out), resulting in a short life span that was impractical for domestic use.

Meanwhile, over in the United States, a prolific American scientist by the name of Thomas Alva Edison (1847 - 1931), was concurrently conducting experiments on the carbon filament incandescent light bulb. Edison was able to find solutions to prevent a chemical reaction within the lightbulb that produced oxidation, an issue which Joseph Swan had not resolved at that point in time. Edison acquired a new product called the Sprengel pump (used to exhaust the air from a lightbulb), which was a better vacuum than its predecessor, and it proved critical to the eventual success of Edison's lightbulb invention. In addition, Edison concluded that he needed a thin carbon wire filament in order to transmit the required level of electric current. His steadfastness was finally rewarded in the year 1879, while working at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, Thomas Edison constructed the first incandescent electric light bulb. His original device worked by passing electric current through a thin carbon filament within the glass vacuum bulb, which delayed the meltdown of the wire filament, resulting in his lightbulb providing light continuously for roughly 14 hours, a milestone achievement in 1879. Thomas Edison was the first person to resolve both the scientific and commercial challenges for producing the first domestic lightbulb, and as a result, it is Thomas Edison, who takes the coveted crown as the first person in history to invent the electric light bulb. The creation of the modern domestic light bulb, facilitated the practice of night employment, provided the opportunity for greater economic growth, and significantly increased worker efficiency. This technology also improved working conditions, brought down pollution caused by gas lighting, and greatly reduced fire hazards in homes and businesses everywhere.

The Debate: Electricity Before The Modern Era

By whom and when electric lighting was invented is not certain according to certain academics. Many contentious debates between historians and archaeologists has raged for generations regarding whether or not the ancient Egyptians discovered electric lighting thousands of years ago. Today, beneath the ancient temple of Hathor, in Dendera, Egypt, there are ancient Egyptian religious hieroglyphics and texts inscribed on the temple walls, which were created during the era of the Old Kingdom, roughly 2600 BC - 2150 BC in Egyptian history. Following detailed research of this artefact, certain scholars have claimed that the imagery of the object which is depicted on a section of the wall in the old temple, is reminiscent of an early lightbulb, and within the bulb-like imagery there is a wavy snake like line, which is interpreted by some archaeologists and historians as the representation of an electric current, this line progressed to an image of a lotus flower, which is thought to be the socket of the bulb. Contrarily, there are a number of other archaeologists and scholars who argue that ancient inscriptions on a temple wall does not in itself constitute proof that the ancient Egyptians invented electricity, and some scholars see such an hypothesis as an anachronism, furthermore, they also state that such inscriptions are open to personal interpretations, which in this case could be perceived merely as mythological relevance.

It's been revealed that modern day archaeologists have recently discovered artefacts in Egypt, which are undergoing detailed analysis, said to be further evidence that the ancient Egyptians had knowledge of electroplating and solo energy. Originally cap stones in gold extended from the apex of the Great pyramids, which have since been removed. However, there is a theory that the apex of the pyramids was originally designed to capture solo energy from the rays of the sun, and then transported down a long vertical corridor stemming through the centre of the pyramids to a type of generator (currently undergoing scientific research), constructed situated beneath the foundation of the Great pyramids, where this energy could be harnessed. Additionally, the Great pyramids was once cloaked in Tura limestones, which is a very robust but smooth surfaced white stone, most of which was removed from the surface of the pyramids many generations ago. However, once upon a time, during mid-day, the full glory of the sun would have been projected spectacularly from the surface of the pyramids over great distances, to produce a most captivating vision from afar. But, importantly, some archaeologists claim that it is also possible that such stones were once used to harness solo energy from the sun, to be channelled into a type of generator, and then redirected, partly to provide illumination for the interior corridors and chambers of the ancient pyramids. However, there are other scientists who strongly reject those theories, claiming that such ideas are not supported by enough evidence. Nevertheless, this recent ground-breaking discovery has greatly elevated this long-standing and intriguing debate on this topic between scholars. On a serious note, the religious texts and hieroglyphics (once deciphered) deliver an ominous message which is, if this knowledge of great power is acquired by future generations, potentially it could be dangerously misused, culminating in catastrophic consequences for this world.