Miner’s Safety Lamp

Miner’s Safety Lamp

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Description (Brief)
This Davy style safety lamp was manufactured by the American Safety Lamp and Mine Supply Company of Scranton, Pennsylvania in the latter half of the 19th century. The “safety” mining lamp was a tremendous step forward in preventing mining disasters. Encasing the flame in metal gauze prevented the flame from escaping the lamp and igniting the combustible gases (called firedamp), as would happen with the open flames of carbide or oil-wick lamps.
Object Name
lamp, safety, mining
mining lamp
Measurements
overall: 12 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in; 31.75 cm x 11.43 cm x 11.43 cm
ID Number
AG.MHI-MN-8802A
accession number
265669
catalog number
MHI-MN-8802A
Credit Line
Board of Trustees of Lafayette College
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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Comments

"I have a lamp of this type that has been converted to an electric lamp, found in an antique shop in North Carolina. It is marked "American Safety Lamp and Mining Supply Co., " on the base and has the number 233 and "Scranton Pa " inscribed on the cap. Can you tell me any more about it? What does the number signify? The lamp or the miner who used it, perhaps?Thank you."

Carolyn Currie

Tue, 2013-04-23 12:05

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