Oil-Wick Cap Lamp

Description:

This oil-wick cap lamp was made by an unknown maker during the second half of the 19th century. The oil-wick cap lamp was first invented in Scotland in 1850 and 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 flame was much brighter and more efficient than the candles it replaced. The lamp’s tag notes that it was found by P.E. Hayford working at the docks of Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal Company in Salem, Massachusetts in 1897.

See more items in: Work and Industry: Mining, Mining Lamps, Work, Industry & Manufacturing, Grant Wheat Collection

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: Mary R. Wheat

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: AG.MHI-MN-8148BAccession Number: 239148Catalog Number: MHI-MN-8148B

Object Name: lamp, oil, cap, mining

Measurements: overall: 4 1/2 in x 1 1/2 in x 5 in; 11.43 cm x 3.81 cm x 12.7 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a6-da86-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_872641

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