University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois I-Mark

Lamp, Oil

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https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/ee69f7e0-0d92-0135-23f6-0050569601ca-9
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Descriptive Information

Title
Lamp, Oil
Description
This pewter oil lamp has a circular base which leads to a cylindrical stem. The stem holds up a larger cylindrical reservoir from which stems a single wick holder. This could be a whale oil lamp, or could have been used with vegetable or other oils.
Interpretation
This lamp may have been for use with whale oil, or could have been used with camphene, vegetable oil or other lamp fuels. Whale oil was highly prized from 1750 to 1850 as the best lamp oil fuel. It burned at a very steady rate, very brightly and with little smoke. Oil from the skull cavity of the spermaceti whale was the finest quality and was a major reason the whaling industry was so profitable. The Civil War made whaling difficult and made whale oil cost-prohibitive.
Lesson Plans / Themes
  • Settling in the Midwest  
  • What's That Relic?  
  • Introduction of Artifacts as a Primary Source  
  • School Museum  
  • Inventions Multimedia Time Line  
  • Whaling Slide Show  
  • How We Learn About Communities  
  • Communities and Geography  
  • American Communities in History  
Learning Standards
  • 13 Science, Technology and Society  
  • 18 Social Systems  
  • 16 History  
Subject / Keywords
  • Clock lamp  
  • Clock and watch making  
  • Lighting device  
  • Light  
  • United States  
  • Whale oil  
  • Oil lamp  
  • Whales  
Temporal Coverage
1800/1860
Collection Publisher
Early American Museum
Rights
Copyright Not Evaluated
Resource Identifier
1968.001.1096
Date Created
2-24-2003
Collection Title
Teaching with Digital Content (Cultural Heritage Community)
Collection
Teaching with Digital Content (Cultural Heritage Community)
TitleLamp, Oil
DescriptionThis pewter oil lamp has a circular base which leads to a cylindrical stem. The stem holds up a larger cylindrical reservoir from which stems a single wick holder. This could be a whale oil lamp, or could have been used with vegetable or other oils.
InterpretationThis lamp may have been for use with whale oil, or could have been used with camphene, vegetable oil or other lamp fuels. Whale oil was highly prized from 1750 to 1850 as the best lamp oil fuel. It burned at a very steady rate, very brightly and with little smoke. Oil from the skull cavity of the spermaceti whale was the finest quality and was a major reason the whaling industry was so profitable. The Civil War made whaling difficult and made whale oil cost-prohibitive.
Lesson Plans / Themes
  • Settling in the Midwest  
  • What's That Relic?  
  • Introduction of Artifacts as a Primary Source  
  • School Museum  
  • Inventions Multimedia Time Line  
  • Whaling Slide Show  
  • How We Learn About Communities  
  • Communities and Geography  
  • American Communities in History  
Learning Standards
  • 13 Science, Technology and Society  
  • 18 Social Systems  
  • 16 History  
Subject / Keywords
  • Clock lamp  
  • Clock and watch making  
  • Lighting device  
  • Light  
  • United States  
  • Whale oil  
  • Oil lamp  
  • Whales  
Temporal Coverage1800/1860
Collection PublisherEarly American Museum
RightsCopyright Not Evaluated
Resource Identifier1968.001.1096
Date Created2-24-2003
Collection TitleTeaching with Digital Content (Cultural Heritage Community)
CollectionTeaching with Digital Content (Cultural Heritage Community)

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Lamp, Oil
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