Did you know that the first lamp was invented around 70,000 BC? I’m sure it was some enterprising clansman who decided there should be a way to use the campfire that was their main heating and cooking source to also light the darkness in their huts. At first these lamps took the form of the natural containers found for them, such as a hollow rock, shell, or other object, filled with moss or a similar material. That material was then soaked with animal fat and ignited. Around the 7th century BC, the Greeks began making terra cotta lamps to replace handheld torches. The word lamp is derived from the Green word, lampas, meaning torch. Soon lamps were being formed from other materials, such as alabaster and metal. Wicks were later added to control the rate of burning and make the lamp last longer. And the common table lamp was born!
In the 18th century, the central burner was invented, which was a major improvement in lamp design. The fuel source was now tightly enclosed in metal, and an adjustable metal tube was used to control the intensity of the fuel being burned, as well as the intensity of the light being emitted. These early lighting fuels consisted of olive oil, beeswax, fish oil, whale oil, sesame oil, nut oil, and similar substances. Around the same time, small glass chimneys were added to lamps to both protect the flame and control the flow of air to the flame. Ami Argand, a Swiss chemist, is credited with first developing the principal of using an oil lamp with a hollow circular wick, surrounded by a glass chimney in 1783. Could our stained glass lamps, bronze lamps, even gold, and fabric lamps be far behind?
But the early discoveries in lighting concentrated on the fuel being used, rather than the lamp design. In 1792, William Murdoch applied the first commercial use of gas lighting by using coal gas for his home in Redruth, Cornwall. German inventor, Freidrich Winzer (Windsor) patented coal gas lighting in 1804. The first gas patent in the U.S. was received by David Melville in 1810. Then, in 1859, drilling for petroleum oil began and the kerosene lamp became popular. By the 19th century, most cities in the United States and Europe utilized gaslight for commercial and home use. Then Edison successfully demonstrated the light bulb in 1879 and fought successfully to protect his patent of the incandescent light bulb in 1892. By this time, lamps of every design and use imaginable were being produced.
The ever-present lamp is now not only serviceable, like floor lamps, table lamps, and even ceiling lamps, but it can also be quite an investment. Does the name Tiffany ring a bell? More contemporary lamps, such as touch lamps and the torchiere lamp, with its tall pole base and bowl-shaped shade, combine utility with beauty. Purchasing a lamp is like matching its personality to the room it will inhabit. And the choices can be mind-boggling. But the glorious results of the perfect lamp for that room can not only bring joy to you, but add charm and value to your home.
