Vintage Images Of Various Lamps

Ancient Lamps

Many archaeologists claim that the invention of oil lamps dates to antiquity. The very first lamps consisted of a hollowed-out vessel such as a rock, or seashells, which was filled with moss or a similar type of substance and then soaked with animal fat before being ignited. In later years, lamps were created by using clay, which was formed as saucers with a projecting string or a floating wick in the centre of the container. The ancient Egyptians, China, Greece, and nations across many parts of the Middle East used ancient 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 they were the most commonly used oils for such a purpose until around 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. Over the passage of time oil lanterns were invented, and it is believed that the ancient Romans were one of the earliest civilisations to use oil lanterns (1st century BC to 1st century AD).

Argand Lamps

In the Modern Era from about the late 18th century, scientist in Europe began to research several ways to improve the traditional oil lamps. The first official technological breakthrough was achieved by Swiss chemist Aime Argand (born 1750 - died 1808), who invented and patented the 'Argand Lamp' in 1780. In that era, 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 emitted a radiance roughly six to ten candelas brighter than that of earlier oil lamps, in addition, the Argand lamp was designed with an adjustable mechanism connected 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 mechanism situated above the burner. The Argand lamp was specifically designed to facilitate study and reading. However, initially it was an expensive device to purchase for many people, therefore, it was predominately used by the middle and upper classes, nevertheless, over time, this lamp was said to revolutionize lamp lighting requirements across the globe.

Kerosene Fuel

A famous Canadian geologist and physician by the name of Abraham Pineo Gesner (born 1797 - died 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 would be a lucrative business venture, therefore, he founded the Kerosene Gaslight Company, in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1950, not long after, his 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, and by 1854, Gesner moved to the United States, where he created the North American Kerosene Gas Light Company, in Long Island, New York, the success of which contributed to the prolific use of Kerosene across many parts of the United States and then eventually across much of Europe.

Kerosene Lamps

Meanwhile, in Poland a notable Polish pharmacist and engineer by the name of Ignacy Łukasiewicz (1822 - 1882), invented the Kerosene lamp in 1853, named so, because it used Kerosene fuel. During the same year, Łukasiewicz became the first to distil Kerosene from crude oil (fossil fuel) and then use this fuel to illuminate a pharmacy and an operating theatre in a hospital based in Lwów, in Poland. The Kerosene lamp 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 called Tytus Trzecieski, joined forces to become co-founders of the world's first oil mine in the town of Bóbrka, in Poland, in 1854. After successfully setting up a large storage supply of crude oil, Łukasiewicz went on to establish 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, eventually Kerosene fuel became affordable for millions of people, and ultimately it became the predominant fuel supply for oil lamps (superseding whale oil) at that time in history, and by the 1860s, Kerosene lamps were in standard usage across many different nations across the globe.

The Invention Of Gaslighting

The history of gas lighting date back many centuries, and it is not certain precisely when in history the use of gas lighting originated, but according to some official records, the ancient Chinese began using natural gas as fuel for some of their buildings around 500 B.C (dates from different sources vary). The historical records of ancient China reveal that they created underground networks with bamboo pipelines with a view to transport natural gas for the requirement of domestic lighting and heating within their homes and temples in that era. However, in the Modern Era, a Scottish chemist and inventor by the name of William Murdoch (born 1754 - died 1839), was the first person to successfully build and connect pipes to carry coal gas to lamps that were situated within his home, in 1792, producing the first gas lighting in Europe, a feat which earned William Murdoch a honourable place in history, now referred to as the father of modern gas lighting.

A German inventor and pioneer called Frederick Albert Windsor (born 1863 - died 1830), original name Friedrich Albrecht Winzer is said to be the first person in Europe to create public street lighting. He completed a construction of an underground network of supply pipes to carry fuel gas through a location in Pall Mall Street, in London, on 28th January 1807. Following this event, Windsor officially presented his ideas to construct a centralized gasworks system which could provide lighting for the streets of London and multiple establishments across the capital by means of an underground gas main. In 1812, the British Parliament granted Frederick Windsor the authority to establish the first British Gas Company (Gas Light and Coke Company) in London, 1812. As a result, by the 1830s, most of the capital was illuminated by gas light at night. London streets with lights were a welcome sight and relief to millions of citizens living in London at that time. This important event reduced crime, and it also enabled many businesses to operate for longer hours each day. The Gas Light and Coke Company received Royal Charter on 30 April 1812 under the seal of the English monarch King George III, and it is also important to mention that the Gas Light and Coke Company proved to be the original ancestor of British Gas.

When Frederick Windsor had embarked on a mission to create public gas lighting services in London, over in France, a famous French engineer and inventor called Philippe Lebon (born 1767 - died 1804), in fact had already successfully experimented with gas lighting by distilling certain types of timber wood to obtain fuel gas for illumination purposes. Also, Philippe Lebon demonstrated the practicality of fuel gas by installing gas supply pipes to his home to provide lighting for a section of his house and garden in 1801. Philippe Lebon accomplished several different inventions during his relatively brief scientific career, for which he was granted various patents and national awards beginning from 1799. Furthermore, before Lebon's unfortunate and untimely demise in 1804, he had contemplated new technological theories to create gas lighting provisions across the city of Paris. It is said that some of Philippe Lebon's theories were adopted by Frederick Windsor while he lived in France, and Windsor capitalized on some of those theories when he eventually moved to London. Once upon a time, London public streetlamps were lit by people who were employed as lamplighters, but over time, technology developed which produced an automatic ignition switch that controlled public streetlights by a central clockwork timer. Meanwhile, in America on 7 February 1817, the first public gas streetlamp 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 1800s several esteemed inventors from different nations across the globe contributed to the development of modern electricity lighting. Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (born 1745 - died 1827), became famous for inventing the first electric battery in about 1800. Meanwhile, in Britain, English chemist and inventor Humphrey Davy (born 1778 - died 1829), was said to be the first to invent the carbon arc light (arc lamp), which produces light by an electric arc when current passes between two incandescent electrodes that are 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 this type of lighting device was extremely expensive to manufacture and possessed a short life expectancy, therefore, the early arc lamps were considered unsuitable for domestic use. However, following years of ongoing scientific research and improvements, particularly with the invention of electric generators in the late 1870s, the electric arc lamp was finally deemed suitable for practical street lighting, and as a result, Britain, America, China, Japan and France were some of the first nations to begin the wide usage of electric arc lamps within certain cities.

The First Lightbulb

In the late 1870s two famous scientists from different nations vied to become the inventor of the domestic lightbulb. Both scientists were considered key developers of this revolutionary technology. In the United Kingdom, the English physicist and chemist, Joseph Swan (born 1828 - died 1914) had publicly demonstrated his invention of the carbon filament incandescent light bulb to the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne, on 18 December 1878. In addition, Swan's house in Low Fell, Gateshead, was one of the first homes to be successfully illuminated by an electric lightbulb. But, although Swan's first public demonstration proved to be a success, his invention was not considered a commercially viable product. This was due to key problems that had not been resolved, specifically, Joseph Swan's invention failed because his light bulb consisted of a relatively thick wire filament of a material, which was prone to rapid burnout, and it carried an inappropriate level of electric current, in addition, the vacuum pumps used for the purpose of exhausting the air from the light bulb were inadequate for that purpose, these issues collectively caused oxidation to occur within the lightbulb glass (rapid corrosion and burn out), resulting in a short life span that was impractical for domestic use.

Meanwhile, over in the USA, a prolific American scientist named Thomas Alva Edison (born 1847 - died 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 with a view to transmit the required level of electric current. His steadfastness was finally rewarded in 1879, while working at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, Thomas Edison constructed the first incandescent electric light bulb. Edison's 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 about 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, as a result, it was Thomas Edison, who seized 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. Also, this technology improved working conditions, brought down pollution caused by gaslighting, and notably reduced fire hazards in homes and businesses.

The Debate: Electricity Before The Modern Era

When and who invented electric lighting is not certain according to some academics. Over generations, many contentious debates have raged between historians and archaeologists regarding whether the ancient Egyptians discovered electric lighting thousands of years ago. 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, approximately 2600 BC - 2150 BC in Egyptian history. Following detailed research of this artefact, certain scholars have claimed that the image of an 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 a fascinating representation of an electric current, this line progresses to an image of a lotus flower, which is thought to be the socket of the bulb. Contrarily, there are several 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 this hypothesis as an anachronism, furthermore, they also assert that such inscriptions are open to personal interpretations, which in this case could be perceived merely as mythological relevance.

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 transport this energy down a long vertical corridor through the pyramid's centre to a generator constructed beneath the foundation of the Great pyramid, where this energy could be harnessed. In addition, the Great pyramids were once cloaked in Tura limestones, which is a very robust smooth surfaced white stone, most of which was removed from the pyramids' surfaces many generations ago. However, once upon a time, in midday the full glory of the sun would have been projected spectacularly from the pyramids' surfaces over great distances, exhibiting a most captivating vision from afar. Importantly, academics claim it is possible that such surface stones were once used to harness solo energy from the sun, then channelled within a type of ancient generator, to be redirected partly for lighting the interior corridors and chambers of the ancient pyramids. It is noteworthy that there are other scientists who strongly reject these theories, claiming that such ideas are not supported by enough evidence. Nevertheless, recent ground-breaking discovery within the Great Pyramids have rekindled 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.