Whale oil lamp (one of a pair)

1820-1840 Measurements 8-3/4 in x 3-3/4 in (dia) Materials Brass, iron (wick tubes) Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation

Accession Number 1984.3 Provenance

The lamps were purchased from Rushlight Antiques, Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, for use in the Wilson-Warner House.

Comments

The pair of whale oil lamps were made with double wick tubes set into a brass fitting that screws into the top of an oil reservoir.  The body of each lamp was formed by casting the two halves and soldering them together.  The separately cast base was soldered on.  It shows skimming marks on the underside of the bottom where the cast surface was smoothed.  The outsides were also skimmed and then polished to remove all skimming marks.