A Hanging oil lamp is a simple device used to create light and heat while suspended from the ceiling. As the name implies, oil is the primary fuel source for such a lamp, although some models can also employ alcohol or other fuel types when necessary. These lamps have been in use for thousands of years, although the first recorded modern version came about 1780.
Since then, the hanging oil lamp has changed little. It typically employs an oil-carrying receptacle, into which a wick is dipped. The wick in turn carries a small amount of fuel up to the top portion of the lamp, where it can be lit to produce along-lasting flame. Often, the hanging oil lamp will include a glass cover over the wick to prevent burns and to keep strong winds from extinguishing the flame.
Hanging oil lamps, and oil lamps in general, carry a great deal of historic significance and are often used symbolically in literature, movies, and theatre. Noted oil lamps in history and literature include Aladdin’s Lamp from the Tales of the Arabian Nights, and Florence Nightingale’s famous lamp she carried with her during her night time vigil over wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. It was this vigil that earned her the historical nickname ‘The Lady with the Lamp.’
Oil lamps are used today for a number of purposes. No camping trip would be complete without a kerosene lamp along for the ride, and many homesteading types who are living off-grid employ oil lamps for evening illumination if their solar photovoltaic systems lack a storage battery. For those living in rural areas, it is always a good idea to keep a hanging oil lamp or two on hand in case of power outages or other emergencies.