Paraffin lamp
The table lamp that lit homes across Sweden and Europe in the second half of the 19th century.
Paraffin – lamp oil distilled from petroleum – made light cheap from the 1850s and 60s. The paraffin lamp became the first lamp most households could afford.
In Sweden paraffin lamps were found in almost every home until electricity arrived, in the countryside often not until the 1920s and 30s. The burner’s brand and the size of the thread help with dating.
Materials: Brass, cast iron or glass base; glass reservoir and chimney
Manufacture: Burners were made in large numbers in Germany, under names such as Kosmos and Matador; the reservoirs were blown or pressed.
The burner with a knob that raises and lowers the flat or round wick.
The maker’s marking on the burner or knob.
Reservoirs of pressed or coloured glass.