The Argand lamp was the height of lighting technology when new more than 200 years ago. In the 1780s, Swiss inventor Francois-Pierre-Ami Argand patented a new method of lighting using a cylindrical wick that resulted in a flame much brighter than candles. His version burned whale oil and could produce the light of up to 10 candles—a vast improvement on previous oil lamps. The Argand was the lamp of choice until it was superseded by the kerosene lamp in 1850.
Made in Sheffield, England, around 1800, this example features a Wedgwood jasperware base.