Molly Ayala
The first constant electric light was demonstrated in 1835, and lanterns have been used functionally since antiquity. However, the first portable electric lantern was not introduced until 1896, when Louis A. Jackson founded the Acme Electric Lamp Company. Jackson applied for a patent for his Portable Lamp (Bicycle Light) in July 1896 and was granted a patent in December of that year. The Acme model featured a bicycle bracket, but a handle was soon added, making it a valuable portable light source.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First constant electric light | 1835 |
| Inventor of the first constant electric light | Warren de la Rue |
| First portable electric lantern | 1896 |
| Inventor of the first portable electric lantern | Louis A. Jackson |
| Company behind the first portable electric lantern | Acme Electric Lamp Company |
| Date the company was formed | June 15, 1896 |
| Date the patent for the portable lamp was applied for | July 25, 1896 |
| Date the patent was granted | December 8, 1896 |
| Date the bicycle light was advertised | February 29, 1897 |
| Date of the first catalogue | Spring of 1897 |
| Date of the second catalogue | Spring of 1898 |
| Inventor of the first visible-spectrum LED | Nick Holonyak, Jr. |
| Year the first visible-spectrum LED was invented | 1962 |
| Inventor of the first high-brightness blue LED | Shuji Nakamura |
| Year the first high-brightness blue LED was invented | 1994 |
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What You'll Learn
- The first portable electric lantern was made in 1896
- The first constant electric light was demonstrated in 1835
- In 1840, Warren de la Rue created one of the world's first electric light bulbs
- In 1879, Edison's team produced a light bulb that could last 14.5 hours
- In 1882, electric street lights arrived in New Orleans, London
The first portable electric lantern was made in 1896
The history of lanterns goes back millennia, with the earliest lanterns believed to date back to 1500 B.C. in the days of King David and the Iron Age. These early lanterns used a variety of fuel sources, including candles, liquid oil with a wick, gas with a mantle, or even whale oil. The introduction of glass windows in the 1500s made lanterns suitable for illuminating public spaces, and they were used to light the streets of London as early as 1417.
Over time, lanterns evolved from iron baskets of wood knots to oil lanterns, and eventually to gas lanterns in the 19th century. The development of electric lighting in the late 19th century marked a significant shift towards modern illumination. Intense competition and innovation characterised the late 1870s and 1880s, with inventors like Joseph Swan in the UK and Thomas Edison in the US independently developing functional incandescent lamps.
Amidst this backdrop of innovation, the first portable electric lantern made its debut in 1896. Louis A. Jackson, the founder of the Acme Electric Lamp Company, applied for a patent for his Portable Lamp (Bicycle Light) on July 25, 1896, and was granted U.S. patent number 572,805 on December 8, 1896. This lantern was powered by a dry cell battery, making it the first commercially successful portable electric light of its kind.
The Acme lantern featured a well-designed conical reflector with a superbly silvered finish. The lens, bulb, and reflector unit projected from the front of the case, and the lens was made of flat, non-magnifying glass. The initial model included a bicycle bracket, but a handle was soon added, transforming it into a versatile hand light. This new model, known as the House Lamp, gained popularity as a portable light source.
The success of the Acme Electric Lamp Company was short-lived, as they were eventually put out of business by the emergence of tubular flashlights. However, their innovation paved the way for future developments in portable electric lighting, and their legacy endures in the evolution of flashlights and electric lanterns that followed.
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The first constant electric light was demonstrated in 1835
The 1835 demonstration proved that electric light was possible with the arc lamp. This early form of electric lighting was not suitable for home use, however, as arc lamps burned through their carbon rods very quickly, expelled dangerous carbon monoxide, and produced tens of kilowatts of output.
The first constant electric light was demonstrated by James Bowman Lindsay at a public meeting in Dundee, Scotland. Over the following decades, inventors continued to make small advances in the pursuit of a functional incandescent lamp. In 1840, for example, British scientist Warren De la Rue enclosed a coiled platinum filament in a vacuum tube and passed an electric current through it. This design proved too costly for commercial use, however.
In 1882, Thomas Edison demonstrated that electricity could be distributed from a centrally located generator through a series of wires and tubes, and he also developed the first commercial power utility, the Pearl Street Station in lower Manhattan. Edison's lighting technology was modelled on the existing gas lighting system.
Electric lanterns, powered by batteries or accumulators, are still widely used today for street lighting, interior and landscape lighting, and for portable use in camping and emergency situations.
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In 1840, Warren de la Rue created one of the world's first electric light bulbs
The existence of lanterns can be traced back to 1500 B.C. in the days of King David and the Iron Age, where Canaanite Oil Lamps were used for nearly a thousand years. Ancient Roman versions made with terracotta and using olive oil were found in Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other notable archaeological sites dating back to 509 B.C. In London, a diarist wrote in 1712 that lanterns were placed to illuminate the roads on dark nights. In 1792, Governor Carondelet organized a group of night watchmen and instituted city lights to increase safety. These oil lamps hung by iron chains at intersections.
De la Rue was a British astronomer, chemist, and inventor, born in Guernsey on the Channel Islands. He was the son of Thomas de la Rue, the founder of a prominent London stationery firm. After completing his education in Paris, he joined his father's business but dedicated his free time to chemical and electrical research. Between 1836 and 1848, he published several papers on these subjects. In addition to his work on the electric light bulb, De la Rue made significant contributions to astronomical photography. He investigated the discharge of electricity through gases and served as the president of both the Chemical Society and the Royal Astronomical Society. He was recognized for his achievements, receiving awards such as the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1862.
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In 1879, Edison's team produced a light bulb that could last 14.5 hours
The history of lanterns can be traced back to 1500 B.C. in the days of King David and the Iron Age, where Canaanite Oil Lamps were used for nearly a thousand years. Ancient Roman versions made with terracotta and using olive oil were found in Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other notable archaeological sites dating back to 509 B.C.
Over the years, the light source for lanterns has evolved from candles, liquid oil with wicks, and gas with mantles to modern electric lights. In the 1700s, lanterns made from metal and glass were commonly used until they were superseded by electric lights.
The development of electric lanterns was marked by significant contributions from inventors such as Thomas Edison. In 1879, Edison and his team produced a light bulb that could last for 14.5 hours, a significant improvement over the short-lived early bulbs. Edison's bulb used a carbonized filament of uncoated cotton thread, and he continued experimenting until he settled on a bamboo filament that gave his lamps a lifetime of up to 1,200 hours.
Edison's work on the light bulb extended beyond the filament. He created a better vacuum pump to fully remove the air from the bulb and developed the Edison screw, which became the standard socket fitting for light bulbs. Additionally, he focused on improving the generation of electricity, establishing the first commercial power utility called the Pearl Street Station in lower Manhattan.
The impact of Edison's inventions extended beyond the light bulb. He developed a whole suite of inventions, including the first electric meter, that made the use of light bulbs practical and accessible. By modelling his lighting technology on the existing gas lighting system, Edison demonstrated that electricity could be distributed through a series of wires and tubes.
In summary, the first electric lanterns emerged as a result of advancements in lighting technology, with Thomas Edison and his team playing a pivotal role in the development of long-lasting and practical electric light bulbs. Their work laid the foundation for the widespread adoption of electric lanterns and transformed the way people illuminated their homes and public spaces.
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In 1882, electric street lights arrived in New Orleans, London
The history of street lighting is a fascinating one, and the arrival of electric street lights in New Orleans and London in 1882 was a significant milestone.
In New Orleans, the journey to electric street lights began with oil lamps hung by iron chains at intersections in 1792, organised by Governor Carondelet to increase safety. These were replaced by gaslights in the 1820s, and by the 1860s, there were 2500 gas street lights illuminating the city. Finally, in 1882, electric arc street lights were introduced, covering the entire city by 1900. This transition to electric lighting started with the installation of 100 2,000-candlepower arc lamps along five miles of wharf and riverfront by the New Orleans Brush Lighting Company.
London's path to electric street lights started in the 18th and 19th centuries when the nights were dimly lit, and people relied on personal lanterns or the occasional gaslight. The first public street lighting in London was demonstrated with gas in 1807, and by the mid-19th century, gas street lighting became more widely available. However, the use of electricity for lighting began to emerge in the 1840s when British engineer Frederick Hale Holmes patented an electric arc lamp. Arc lighting was used to illuminate specific locations like St Enoch's railway station in Glasgow, but it was too complicated and expensive for widespread domestic use. In 1878, London saw its first streets lit with electric arc lamps by the Holborn Viaduct and the Thames Embankment, with over 4,000 in use by 1881.
The adoption of electric street lights in New Orleans and London in 1882 was a significant step towards brighter and more efficient lighting solutions. It marked a shift from traditional oil and gas lamps towards modern electric lighting, improving visibility and safety in these cities. This transition was part of a broader movement towards urban electric power distribution in developed countries during the 20th century, leading to the widespread use of electric street lights we see today.
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Frequently asked questions
The first portable electric lantern was made in 1896 by the Acme Electric Lamp Company.
The first model of the Acme lantern was made with a bicycle bracket, but a handle was soon added to make it more portable. The lens was made of flat, non-magnifying glass, which was superior to the bullseye lens found on tubular flashlights at the time.
The first constant electric light was demonstrated in 1835. For the next 40 years, scientists worked on the incandescent lamp, tinkering with the filament and the bulb's atmosphere. These early bulbs had short lifespans and were too expensive or energy-intensive to produce. By 1879, Edison's team had produced a lightbulb that could last for 14.5 hours.
Before electric lanterns, lanterns were typically fuelled by candles, liquid oil with a wick, or gas with a mantle.
