Miner's Cap Lamp

Miner's Cap Lamp

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Description (Brief)
This oil-wick mining lamp would have been in use from around 1850-1920. Its double spout indicates that it burned "Sunshine" fuel, a mixture of paraffin wax and 3% mineral oil produced by the Standard Oil Company. Often called a "Sunshine Lamp," the outer spout served to insulate the wick in the inner spout, thereby conducting enough heat to melt the wax in the Sunshine fuel. This kind of lamp hooked onto a miner’s cap, and produced an open flame.
Object Name
lamp, oil, cap, mining
mining lamp
Measurements
overall: 3 in x 3 1/4 in x 1 3/4 in; 7.62 cm x 8.255 cm x 4.445 cm
ID Number
AG.MHI-MN-7837
catalog number
MHI-MN-7837
accession number
234818
Credit Line
Junior Morrell
See more items in
Work and Industry: Mining
Mining Lamps
Work
Industry & Manufacturing
Natural Resources
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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