Posted 4 years ago
hotairfan
(388 items)
I've always liked early forms of lighting. Candle, Rush, Oil, Kerosene lamps always held a warn spot of my collection. The lamp opened a new era that our forefathers could continue their workday. Work on the homestead was not limited to the daylight hours anymore.
If asked, I put on an hour long display and demonstration of early American artifacts for local historical societies after their monthly meetings, and early lighting is an important and interesting part of my display.
This is one of my collection of tin oil lamps. It probably used animal or vegetable fat as a fuel in this part of the country. On the coastal areas they often used fish oil as fuel.
It stands about 12" tall with a weighted base (for stability), and the lamp itself can be removed from the stand in order to fill it with oil.
It is in exceptionally good condition for it's age and has only a small chip in the little cup, located just above the handle portion of the stand. You can get a glimpse of this cup in the first photo.
I'm not sure, but this little cup may have been for a candle to insert if your oil fuel ran out.
There are no maker's markings, but, I do believe, by it's construction, that it was made by a tinsmith of the time. I date this oil lamp around the early to mid 19th century.
