Camphene Lamp 1935 - 1942

This is Herman Bader's drawing of a Camphene Lamp. We don't know when it was made, but Bader lived between 1855 and 1995, and the lamp itself would likely be from the mid-19th century, before kerosene became the fuel of choice. While seemingly a straightforward illustration of an everyday object, this drawing offers a glimpse into shifting social and economic landscapes. Camphene lamps offered a brighter and cheaper alternative to whale oil, briefly democratizing access to light before kerosene became dominant. Bader's meticulous rendering invites us to consider the values placed on progress, technology, and even domesticity during this period of rapid industrial change. It implicitly speaks to the social changes brought about by new technologies and the institutions, like patent offices and manufacturing guilds, that helped to proliferate them. To truly understand this lamp, we could delve into historical price data for various fuels, examine patent records for lamp designs, and explore the marketing strategies employed to popularize camphene. Only then can we fully appreciate the cultural significance embedded within this seemingly simple drawing.