lighting: Early Sources of Artificial Lighting

The earliest means of artificial lighting were the open fire, firebrands, and torches. The first lamp was a dish of stone (later of clay, pottery, or metal) containing vegetable or animal oil and a wick. This was succeeded by the candle, first made of wax and later also of tallow, and by the lantern, which is of early origin. The Argand burner was an improved oil lamp with a burner and a chimney, and this type of lamp was widely used after the Canadian geologist Abraham Gesner popularized the use of kerosene.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Functional Selection of Lighting
• Contemporary Lighting Technology
• The Fluorescent Lamp
• The Incandescent Lamp
• Electric Lighting Comes of Age
• The Introduction of Gas as a Fuel
• Early Sources of Artificial Lighting

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