The History of Lamps

Chances are that the lamps and lights that you have in your home you tend to take for granted. Light is one of those things that most people don't realize they have such dependence on until they don't have the luxury anymore. When you light up the lamps in your home as the sun sets every night, do you think about the history of lamps and lighting and where it all came from?

It started well before Thomas Edison and his light bulb antics, but most people don't know that. One thing is for sure, though; the history of lamps goes back a long way. It predates even the most primitive of lighting devices and goes all the way back to some of the most primitive peoples in the history of the world.

The First Known Lamp in History

The first known lamp in history dates back—far back, to about 70,000 years before Jesus Christ. Needless to say this was a primitively fashioned lamp, merely a rock that had been hollowed out and filled with dry grass and moss. By dousing it in a bit of animal fat and lighting it afire, these primitive humans created the world's first known lamp without even knowing it.

After that, the first lamp was modified to fit the needs and conveniences of human beings. Other things were used to create the same model, like clay. Also, it was not long before wicks were implemented in order to control the burning—something that lead to more reliable and safe lamps later on. They were used to set on things and create light and to carry as torches, lighting the path of people who walked.

The 7th century B.C. Greek culture refined the lamp making process a bit more. They fashioned lanterns out of durable terra cotta clay and used wicks and oil to light their home. That was the beginning of the lamp inching toward its modern day version.

After that, there was a device created to help control the burning of the fuel. This device enclosed the fuel and allowed the burning process to increase and decrease the intensity of the burning fuel. In turn, the intensity of the light is increased and decreased, allowing for brightening and dimming of the lamp and controlling the ambience in the room.

It was not until well into the 1700s and the early 1800s that gas lighting was implemented. Friedrich Winzer patented coal gas lighting after a man used it to light his home during that time period. Of course this was just the beginnings of gas lighting and it had its dangers, such as potential fire to the home. This is a risk that was even more apparent in the early days of gas lighting as technology to get rid of a fire was not nearly as efficient or well developed as it is today.

Gas lighting was not only used in people's homes. There was a time when all of the lights in a neighborhood and the lamps that lined the streets were powered by gas. People became rather advanced with their knowledge of lighting and how to make things darker and how to make things lighter. Lighting was an important endeavor; it made those things that were not otherwise able to be accomplished indoors and out of doors that much possible, all due to the increasing effectiveness of man-made light.

The Implementation of Electrical Lamps and Lighting Changed Everything

The implementation of lamps and electrical lighting as you know it today changed everything. The first thing invented that was even close to the modern day lamp was the carbon arc lamp, invented by a man named Sir Humphrey Davey. This produced light by attaching two carbon rods to an electrical source, and the reaction created light.

After that, Thomas Edison was the first real light that worked. His lamp was an incandescent bulb, and worked similar to some light bulbs you may have in your home. Electrical currents move through the bulb filament, which has been designed to resist any danger or current from electricity. This heats the filament up and creates a bright light. Edison patented his incandescent bulb in 1879 and lighting technology never looked back.

Many people want to get technical when it comes to who invented the first light bulb. Calling Edison the first inventor of the light bulb is a misnomer; in all actuality he received the patent for it but the original idea was not his. Two inventors had already come up with the idea and lacked the knowledge or funding to finish up the project—perhaps both. Either way, Thomas Edison had more than enough money to put into completing the project and he finished the job, finalizing the world's first real light bulb.

Lamps in Today's Society

These days, there are many different types of lamps out there, and they are the result of decades upon decades upon decades of primitive lighting and try and fail experiences. In today's society, lamps are used to light homes, they are in the windows of businesses lighting up their special deals of the day, they are inside ovens and lighting the yards of fancy homes and buildings from all over. You take them for granted, but perhaps without realizing it. The next time you turn on a lamp in your home, think about the history of lamps and how far technology has come, all so you can move around with ease once the sun has gone down for the day.

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