Otis Singleton
Before the invention of electricity, people relied on candles, oil lamps, and fires to illuminate their homes. Candles and lamps were expensive, so people kept their usage to a minimum. The number of candles or lamps one could afford determined the brightness of their room. Reading and writing were considered daytime activities, and it was unusual to do them at night. However, it was possible to light enough candles or lamps to read or write after dark. People also recognized that reading by candlelight or lamplight was hard on the eyes and best avoided. Before gas and electric lighting, home activities revolved around the hearth, with candlelight or oil lamps providing dim but mobile light around the home.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sources of light | Candles, oil lamps, fire in the hearth, torches, rush lights, tallow candles, gas light |
| Quality of light | Dim, soft, spotty, flickering, bright enough to read by, but hard on the eyes |
| Affordability | Beeswax candles were the most prized and expensive, most people used tallow or rush lights |
| Activities | Reading, storytelling, playing music, sewing, drawing, talking, socializing |
| Reading habits | Reading and writing were considered daytime activities, reading at night was unusual |
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What You'll Learn
Candles were dim and expensive
Before the advent of electricity, candles were the primary source of lighting for reading at night. However, candles were not without their drawbacks. They produced dim light, and their quality was often linked to their cost, making them expensive for many.
Candles have been a source of lighting for centuries, with the earliest evidence of candle-making dating back to 5,000 BC. The first candles were likely made from tallow, which is animal fat, and required manual ignition due to the absence of wicks. Tallow candles were affordable but emitted noxious smoke and attracted pests. They also needed frequent trimming, approximately every 30 minutes, to prevent the tallow from guttering and the wick from burning out.
Beeswax candles were considered superior in terms of light quality and lack of smoke, but they were costly and inaccessible to most people. As a result, candles were often a luxury that only the wealthy could afford. For those of moderate income, a single candle had to be carefully used and maintained.
The invention of the incandescent light bulb in the 1870s by Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan marked a significant shift in lighting. It provided homes with constant and bright illumination, eliminating the need for the costly and labour-intensive candles. However, it is worth noting that even after the introduction of electric lighting, some rural areas still relied on homemade candles and rushlights well into the 1900s due to limited access to electricity.
In conclusion, while candles provided a source of light for reading at night before electricity, their dimness and expense made them less than ideal. The introduction of electric lighting revolutionized domestic life, making bright and affordable illumination accessible to a wider population.
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Oil lamps were another light source
Oil lamps were an important household item and were also used in spiritual rituals. They are still used in some religious contexts today, such as in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, and Eastern Catholic Churches. In Hindu rituals, the oil lamp is used in the Aarti ceremony, and in the home shrine, it is lit before any other lights at night. The oil lamp and its light hold symbolic meanings in various cultures and religions.
Oil lamps were made from a variety of materials, including metal and pottery, and fuelled by different sources. These included plant-based oils from nuts and seeds, animal fats like butter, ghee, and fish oil, and camphine, a purified spirit of turpentine. With the decline of the whale oil industry in the 1830s, kerosene, derived from coal and later petroleum, became a popular alternative. Kerosene lamps were considered an improvement over earlier devices, providing better illumination.
Oil lamps were also portable, making them useful for late farm chores and night hunting. They were cherished possessions, passed down through generations, and played a role in creating quality family time, as everyone gathered around the light to read, sew, draw, or talk. The light from oil lamps, while dimmer than modern electric lights, was sufficient for reading and other tasks.
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Fire in the hearth was a main light
Before the advent of electricity, fire in the hearth was a primary source of light for reading and other activities. The warm glow of a fireplace not only provided heat but also illuminated the surrounding area, making it a focal point for families to gather around during the long evenings.
The use of fire for light and warmth has a long history, dating back to ancient times. Fireplaces, with their open flames, were a common feature in homes, especially in colder climates, where they served as a vital source of heat and light. As the sun set, families would gather in front of the dancing flames, seeking both warmth and illumination.
The light from a fireplace is softer and more ambient compared to the direct light of a candle or oil lamp. While it may not have provided the same level of brightness as a concentrated light source, it offered a more diffuse and gentle radiance that filled the room. This quality of light encouraged a sense of togetherness, as family members would huddle closer to the hearth to benefit from its glow.
In addition to fireplaces, candles and oil lamps were also used to supplement the light. Candles made of beeswax were considered a luxury, accessible only to those who could afford them. For the majority of the population, rush lights or tallow candles were more common. Tallow, derived from animal fat, produced a smoky and odorous flame, requiring frequent wick trimming. Oil lamps, another alternative, were used both indoors and in great buildings such as castles and basilicas.
The combination of fire in the hearth, candles, and oil lamps created a cozy and intimate atmosphere in homes before electricity. Families would spend their evenings in close proximity, reading, sewing, drawing, or talking by the flickering light of the fire. The hearth, with its dancing flames, served as a gathering place, fostering a sense of community and connection during the dark hours.
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Link boys lit the way at night
Before the introduction of gas lighting in the 19th century, the streets of European and American cities were often dark and dangerous for pedestrians. Travellers could hire a "link boy" to light their way at night. Link boys were common in London and carried torches made of rope, twisted rags, or cotton tow (known as "link") stiffened with burning pitch, fat, and resin. The torches were sometimes called lanthorns.
Link boys were usually boys of low status who earned their living by collecting rags and working as link boys. Their fee was typically one farthing. They would light the way for people on foot or in sedan chairs, a type of litter vehicle operated by chairmen. Link boys would escort the passengers to the door of their lodgings.
Link boys are mentioned in the works of several famous authors, including William Shakespeare, William Thackeray, and Charles Dickens. In "Henry IV, Part 1," Shakespeare has Falstaff tease Bardolph about the shining redness of his face, saying, "Thou hast saved me a thousand marks/And makes poor knights afford thee gold and fees./No, no, I know thee not, thou nor thy dog." Here, the term "dog" refers to the link boy, who would often have a dog to protect him from thieves.
Samuel Pepys, in his diary entry of March 25, 1661, describes his conversation with a child working as a link boy:
> "So homewards and took up a boy that had a lanthorn, that was picking up of rags, and got him to light me home, and had great discourse with him, how he could get sometimes three or four bushels of rags in a day, and got 3d. a bushel for them, and many other discourses, what and how many ways there are for poor..."
In thieves' cant, a link boy was known as a "Glym Jack" ("glym" meaning "light") or a "moon-curser" (as their services would not be required on moonlit nights). Employing a link boy could be dangerous, as some would lead their clients to dark alleys where they could be robbed.
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Eyes adjust to darkness over time
Before the advent of electricity, people relied on candles and oil lamps to illuminate their surroundings after dark. While these light sources were dim, reading by candlelight was possible, and people's eyes would adjust to the darkness over time.
The human eye is capable of adapting to various light levels, a process known as visual physiology adaptation. This adaptation occurs due to the presence of rod cells and cone cells in the retina, which enable vision in both high and low-light conditions. Cone cells are responsible for colour vision and function best in bright light, while rod cells take over in low-light conditions, providing us with night vision.
When transitioning from a bright environment to darkness, the pupil dilates to let in as much light as possible, enhancing sensitivity. The cone cells, which initially dominate perception, adapt within 9 to 10 minutes of darkness. However, their performance is soon overtaken by the rod cells, which take over after 5 to 10 minutes.
It can take the human eye up to two hours to fully adapt to darkness and reach optimal sensitivity to low-light conditions. This process is known as dark adaptation and involves the regeneration of photopigments to increase retinal sensitivity. Dark adaptation is influenced by factors such as age, with younger people adapting faster and more effectively than older individuals. Additionally, certain diseases, such as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and vitamin A deficiency, can impair the eye's ability to adjust to darkness, leading to night blindness.
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Frequently asked questions
Before electricity, people relied on natural light and other sources of illumination such as candles, oil lamps, and fires in the hearth. Beeswax candles were considered the best, but they were expensive and not many people could afford them. Rush lights or tallow candles were more commonly used by ordinary people. These sources of light provided a dim glow that was sufficient for basic activities at night, such as reading.
Reading by candlelight or lamplight was possible, but most people would have thought it unusual. Candles and lamp oil were expensive, so people kept lighting to a minimum. Reading and writing were considered daytime activities.
Through the 19th century, it was commonly believed that reading under candlelight caused the decline of eyesight in old age. However, we now know that eyesight declines with age regardless of reading habits.
