DUPRS_0017 Kerosene Lamp

DUPRS_0017 Kerosene Lamp

Plume & Atwood Manufacturing Co. Kerosene Lamp top

This artifact is about 1 ½in. by ½in. It is a wick raiser from a kerosene lamp produced by Plume and Atwood Manufacturing Co. in Connecticut in the late 19th-early 20th century. The artifact has the words “The P&A MFG Co. Acorn.”

Plume & Atwood Manufacturing Co. in Connecticut

Selective Surface collection, east Stanley Park, Historic Chatham Township (modern Summit, New Jersey)

Drew University, Department of Anthropology

Late 19th century-early 20th century

Juliet LaVigne

Metal

Kerosene lamps were very important before the invention of the light bulb. They provided the light in which you received when it was dark outside or inside your house. The wick raiser, which is my artifact, is one of the most important parts of the kerosene lamp. Since the wick is on fire it eventually burns down and if you cannot raise the wick then the fire would go out and then you would have to continuously restart it. The wick raiser is also used to rise and dim the light that is being produced.