Miner’s Cap Lamp
Miner’s Cap Lamp
Usage conditions apply
- Description (Brief)
- 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 hook enabled the lamp to be worn on a cap.
- Object Name
- lamp, oil, cap, mining
- mining lamp
- Measurements
- overall: 3 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in x 2 in; 8.89 cm x 8.89 cm x 5.08 cm
- ID Number
- AG.MHI-MT-3369
- accession number
- 280127
- catalog number
- MHI-MT-3369
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Mining
- Work
- Industry & Manufacturing
- Natural Resources
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.
Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.
If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.
Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.
