Bicycle Lamp
Maker and role
Joseph Lucas Limited, Manufacturer
Production date
Circa 1910
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Object detail
Accession number
2003.225
Maker
Description
Brass bicycle lamp. A tank to hold the fuel (kerosene). It has side windows - green on the right and red on the left. Kerosene wick lamp. The heat vent has a name plate with the words "JOS. LUCAS LTD. SILVER KING BIRMINGHAM". The front glass is hinged with a clip. It has a hinged back to the lamp which give access to the reflector and access to the wick for trimming.
Brief History
Michael Dietz invented a clean-burning kerosene lamp in 1857. It had an immediate effect on the whaling industry. Kerosene, known in those days as "Coal Oil", was easy to produce, cheap, smelled better than whale oil and did not spoil on the shelf as whale oil did.
In the late 1800s, a barrow boy, Joseph Lucas, produced a bicycle lamp called "King of the Road". Lucas and Sons incorporated in 1875 when Joseph Lucas began the manufacture of ship's lamps in Birmingham, England. However, by 1897, they had diversified into the manufacture of motor car parts. From then on, the firm became involved in aerospace technology and is a giant electrical components corporation today.
In the late 1800s, a barrow boy, Joseph Lucas, produced a bicycle lamp called "King of the Road". Lucas and Sons incorporated in 1875 when Joseph Lucas began the manufacture of ship's lamps in Birmingham, England. However, by 1897, they had diversified into the manufacture of motor car parts. From then on, the firm became involved in aerospace technology and is a giant electrical components corporation today.
Marks
Jos Lucas Ltd. / Silver King / Birmingham Maker's Mark
Credit Line
Joseph Lucas Limited. Circa 1910. Bicycle Lamp, 2003.225. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
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