Argand lamp

Argand lamp

The Argand lamp was invented and patented in 1780 by Aimé Argand. It greatly improved on the home lighting oil lamp of the day by producing a light equivalent to about 6 to 10 candles. It had a circular wick mounted between two cylindrical metal tubes so that air channeled through the center of the wick, as well as outside of it. A cylindrical chimney, in early models of ground glass and sometimes tinted, surrounded the wick, steadying the flame and improving the flow of air. It used a supply of good liquid oil, such as spermaceti whale oil, supplied from a separate reservoir as the fuel. Aside from the improvement in brightness, the more complete combustion of the wick and oil required much less frequent snuffing (trimming) of the wick.

The lamps quickly displaced all other varieties of oil lamps and were manufactured in a great variety of decorative forms. They were somewhat more costly than the old oil lamps because of their increased complexity, so they were adopted first by the well-to-do, but soon spread to the middle class and eventually the less well-off as well. It was the lamp of choice until about 1850 when kerosene lamps, which used a flat wick in a cup with a bellied chimney, were introduced. Kerosene was considerably cheaper than whale oil, and many Argand lamps were refitted to burn kerosene.

In France, they are known as "Quinquets" after Antoine-Arnoult Quinquet, a pharmacist in Paris, who stole the idea from Argand and popularized it in France. He is sometimes credited, in France, with the addition of the glass chimney to the lamp.

References

* History of the lamp [http://web.gc.cuny.edu/arthistory/part/part7/articles/sherma.html]
* Wolfe, John J., "Brandy, Balloons, & Lamps: Ami Argand, 1750-1803" Southern Illinois University, (1999) ISBN 0-8093-2278-1.

ee also

*Bude-Light

External links

[http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/closeups/illumination/argand/lewis-lamp.htm A more technical explanation of the workings of an Argand lamp]


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  • Argand lamp — Ar gand lamp [Named from the inventor, Aim[ e] Argand of Geneva.] A lamp with a circular hollow wick and glass chimney which allow a current of air both inside and outside of the flame. [1913 Webster] {Argand burner}, a burner for an Argand lamp …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Argand lamp — an oil lamp with a chimney, having a tubular wick that permits air to reach the center of the flame. [1795 1805; named after A. Argand. See ARGAND BURNER] * * * …   Universalium

  • argand lamp — noun Usage: usually capitalized A Etymology: after Aimé Argand : a lamp with a tubular wick that admits a current of air inside as well as outside of the flame …   Useful english dictionary

  • Argand burner — Argand lamp Ar gand lamp [Named from the inventor, Aim[ e] Argand of Geneva.] A lamp with a circular hollow wick and glass chimney which allow a current of air both inside and outside of the flame. [1913 Webster] {Argand burner}, a burner for an… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Argand — may refer to:* Aimé Argand (1755 ndash; 1803), Swiss physicist and chemist and inventor of the argand lamp * Émile Argand (1879 ndash; 1940), Swiss geologist * Jean Robert Argand (1768 ndash; 1822), mathematician * The Argand diagram or plane,… …   Wikipedia

  • Argand burner — /ahr gand, gahnd, geuhnd/ a type of oil or gas burner in which air is fed directly into the flame through a metal tube inside a cylindrical wick. [1780 90; named after Aimé Argand (1750 1803), Swiss scientist] * * * ▪ oil lamp       first… …   Universalium

  • lamp — n 1. illuminant, luminary, luminant, illumination; light, light vessel, lampad; lamplet, gas lamp, oil lamp, Carcel lamp, Argand lamp, petane lamp, Hefner lamp; table lamp, floor lamp, bridge lamp, music lamp, piano lamp, night light, picture… …   A Note on the Style of the synonym finder

  • argand burner — ˈärˌgan(d) , än(d) , gən(d) noun Usage: usually capitalized A Etymology: after Aimé Argand died 1803 Swiss physicist and inventor : a burner for an Argand lamp or a gas burner applying the principle of that lamp * * * /ahr gand, gahnd, geuhnd/ a… …   Useful english dictionary

  • ARGAND —    a Swiss physician and chemist, born at Geneva; inventor of the argand lamp, which, as invented by him, introduced a circular wick (1755 1803) …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • argand — /ärˈgand/ noun A gas or oil lamp admitting air to both the inside and outside of the flame ORIGIN: Invented by Aimé Argand (1755–1803), French physicist …   Useful english dictionary

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