Object Details
Description (Brief)
This oil-wick lamp was made by an unknown maker during the 19th century. The oil-wick lamp was first invented in Scotland in 1850 and remained in use until the 1920’s. The font contained a mix of fat and oil for fuel, and a wick was inserted into the spout. The resulting light was much brighter and more efficient than the candles it replaced. This oil-wick lamp has a long hollow handle with twine in the interior, lacking the hook that would allow lamps like this to have been worn on a miner’s cap.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Board of Trustees of Lafayette College
ID Number
AG.MHI-MN-8811
accession number
265669
catalog number
MHI-MN-8811
Object Name
lamp, hand, oil wick type, miner's
mining lamp
Measurements
overall: 6 in x 12 in x 4 in; 15.24 cm x 30.48 cm x 10.16 cm
See more items in
Work and Industry: Mining
Mining Lamps
Work
Industry & Manufacturing
Natural Resources
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_872085