Argand lamps are characterized by a fuel reservoir (font) located above and to the side of the burner. The burner is fed fuel horizontally by gravity through an arm or arms that extend between the font and the burner. Invented in 1784 by Ami Argand of Switzerland, his oil lamp featured a burner with a tubular wick that allowed air to flow up through the hollow middle of the wick - as well as around the outside of it - making oil flames burn brighter than existing technology of the day, actually producing light similar to ten candles. American travellers like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson who had lived abroad and brought Argand lamps home with them from England and France, making Argand lamps popular in the United States, and revolutionizing the way Americans lit their homes.
During the first part of the nineteenth century, English-made Argand lamps in various shapes and decorative styles were retailed in the United States. The most common type had a weighted base that supported the oil font, which was typically vase shaped, so Argand lamps are often also called "vase lamps". The lamp fuel in the United States was whale oil, with a higher quality used in winter because it heated more easily. With the spread of Argand lamps, the price of whale oil increased so greatly that only the upper middle class and the wealthy could afford to light their houses with them. For this reason, owning an Argand lamp was a symbol of status and prestige.
We offer museum-quality reproduction Argand lamps from a renowned Richmond craftsman that have been electrified, so you can not only own one but afford to light it, too! Use chandelier bulbs to give a flame effect that will warmly accent your fireplace mantel.