Captain Bob Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 In our modern world today, we can have light whenever we want, in just about any amount we want, and we don't have to set fire to anything to get it. Just throw a switch, push a button, turn a knob and the ceiling lamp, flashlight, or portable lantern is ready to help us keep from crashing into, tripping over, or falling off of our environment. What were one's options with regard to lighting in the 17th and 18th centuries (apart, of course, from doing without)? What did the lamps use, oil? What did they look like? Were torches just sticks with one end afire or was there more to it than that? Did the guys in the magazine work in the dark or was there some sort of safety lantern used? Zippo™ and Bic™ were centuries away. How did they light things when they didn't have a handy fire? What did those tools look like? I'll just sit here and listen, k? ~~Cap'n Bob
kass Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Okay, I don't know alot about lighting in the 17th and 18th centuries (but frankly, I'm dying to learn), but I can share with you one type of light that was pretty typical and used by all levels of society. The rush light. Rush lights were simple stands into which you clamped a single rush. The stand looked like one of those things you use to hold the hook when you're tying fishing lures -- a foot with about a 8-10" upright with a clamp off to one side. The rush (which is a type of tall grass) was dipped in tallow (rendered animal fat) and lit. Candles were of course in use, but beeswax was expensive and even tallow was costly (and takes a lot of stinky work to make). Rushes were the common man's lighting system. Rush lights were around as early as the middle ages, but I have seen rush light holders that date from the 18th century. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time!
blackjohn Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Here's an article about fat lamps in the 18thC... http://www.continentalline.org/articles/ar...&article=950405 Here's the wiki list o' light sources... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_light_sources Duh... of course, Betty Lamps... couldn't think of the name... I remember one time at... the National Colonial Farm...???... watching a woman do a weaving demo by candle light... using a spermaceti candle... those suckers are amazing... bright light... no soot... she only lit it for a sec because... obviously you really can't get sperm whale candles anymore... There's this pretty neat external link from the wiki link above... http://www.ramshornstudio.com/early_lighting_1.htm My Home on the Web The Pirate Brethren Gallery Dreams are the glue that holds reality together.
Gentleman of Fortune Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 What a great question. Never thought of it, and I am glad you asked! Greg Come aboard my pirate re-enacting site http://www.gentlemenoffortune.com/ Where you will find lots of information on building your authentic Pirate Impression!
blackjohn Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Spermaceti candles may be just a tad bit later than our period. Earliest references to them in colonial America that I have found thus far are 1750ish. A NPS site referenced a Jewish candlemaker bringing the process to America about then. But it didn't say how long the process existed in Europe before coming to America. Fwiw, sperm whales are fascinating creatures. Read the wiki article if you don't believe me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_whale My Home on the Web The Pirate Brethren Gallery Dreams are the glue that holds reality together.
Red Dog Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Interesting timing, I was just browsing a nautical catalog and found red and green glass .....prisms.... for lack of a better word. these had a flat round base on one end and came to a point at the other. It looks as if these were set into the deck to cast light into the holds/decks below. I assume it would work only if it were, 1 daytime and 2 the deck was directly below the topside deck. I guess you could set them into the bulkhead. It's the first I'd seen of this and it made sense.
kass Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Hey Dog, is that what the catalog says they were used for? Does it give a date at all? Interesting stuff... Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time!
Dorian Lasseter Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Those are known as, oddly enough, 'Deck Prisims'.... I have one in plain glass, it has a slight greenish tint to it.... the best I've heard is they 'invented' in the late 19th century for luxury yachts... But I have to believe that they have an older history... Truly, D. Lasseter Captain, The Lucy Propria Virtute Audax --- In Hoc Signo Vinces Ni Feidir An Dubh A Chur Ina Bhan Air "If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41 Envy and its evil twin - It crept in bed with slander - Idiots they gave advice - But Sloth it gave no answer - Anger kills the human soul - With butter tales of Lust - While Pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' - On the legs they never trust... The Seven Deadly Sins http://www.colonialnavy.org
kass Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 They sound very pretty in any case. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time!
Dorian Lasseter Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 do a google search for Deck Prism... intersting indeed... Truly, D. Lasseter Captain, The Lucy Propria Virtute Audax --- In Hoc Signo Vinces Ni Feidir An Dubh A Chur Ina Bhan Air "If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41 Envy and its evil twin - It crept in bed with slander - Idiots they gave advice - But Sloth it gave no answer - Anger kills the human soul - With butter tales of Lust - While Pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' - On the legs they never trust... The Seven Deadly Sins http://www.colonialnavy.org
kass Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Thanks Dorian! Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time!
Dorian Lasseter Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Aye Gerl... Ni h-ea fadhb......... Truly, D. Lasseter Captain, The Lucy Propria Virtute Audax --- In Hoc Signo Vinces Ni Feidir An Dubh A Chur Ina Bhan Air "If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41 Envy and its evil twin - It crept in bed with slander - Idiots they gave advice - But Sloth it gave no answer - Anger kills the human soul - With butter tales of Lust - While Pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' - On the legs they never trust... The Seven Deadly Sins http://www.colonialnavy.org
kass Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Boy, you Scots spell funny... Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time!
Dorian Lasseter Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Scotts? Hmmmm..... Gaelic.... Irish Gaelic...... The Deck prism is also known as a 'deadlight'.... Truly, D. Lasseter Captain, The Lucy Propria Virtute Audax --- In Hoc Signo Vinces Ni Feidir An Dubh A Chur Ina Bhan Air "If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41 Envy and its evil twin - It crept in bed with slander - Idiots they gave advice - But Sloth it gave no answer - Anger kills the human soul - With butter tales of Lust - While Pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' - On the legs they never trust... The Seven Deadly Sins http://www.colonialnavy.org
kass Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Ah ha... I got "Ni h'ea". Didn't understand the last word. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time!
The Doctor Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 I'd thought that "deadlights" were interior shutters placed over the gallery windows to allow a sailing ship to truly run dark. I believe I got that from the works of Angus Konstam. Yo ho ho! Or does nobody actually say that?
Silver Steele Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 I though deadlights also meant eyes.... *shruggs* "Close yer deadlights!"
Dorian Lasseter Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Kass, Ni h-ea fadhb in english, no problem... Jack, I'll admit, I'm uncertain, but mayhaps the deck prisms and the shutters were refered as the same thing? I cannot say, as I was quoting a source, mayhaps not the best one... Steele, Aye, slang term fer eyes... Truly, D. Lasseter Captain, The Lucy Propria Virtute Audax --- In Hoc Signo Vinces Ni Feidir An Dubh A Chur Ina Bhan Air "If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41 Envy and its evil twin - It crept in bed with slander - Idiots they gave advice - But Sloth it gave no answer - Anger kills the human soul - With butter tales of Lust - While Pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' - On the legs they never trust... The Seven Deadly Sins http://www.colonialnavy.org
Dorian Lasseter Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 I found more out about deadlights... They are, essentially, portholes or portlights that cannot or are not made to open... Today, a deadlight is an interior porthole window... So, I guess the deck prism would be a horizontal deadlight... Google is a grande thing... Truly, D. Lasseter Captain, The Lucy Propria Virtute Audax --- In Hoc Signo Vinces Ni Feidir An Dubh A Chur Ina Bhan Air "If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41 Envy and its evil twin - It crept in bed with slander - Idiots they gave advice - But Sloth it gave no answer - Anger kills the human soul - With butter tales of Lust - While Pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' - On the legs they never trust... The Seven Deadly Sins http://www.colonialnavy.org
Red Dog Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 i've gotta locate the catalog again, I'll include the name and stuff ASAP.
Red Dog Posted May 18, 2006 Posted May 18, 2006 Ok, my daughter last saw the catalog and now it's disappeared, I found the link below and it shows some actual deck prisms recovered from wrecks. It doesnt give a date though. http://www.njscuba.net/artifacts/obj_deck_light.html
Patrick Hand Posted May 19, 2006 Posted May 19, 2006 Hummmm..... they have some of those at the Maritime museam (whatever it's called) in San Fransico...... Chunks of glass that let the light below......... I thought it was cool when I first saw them..........
blackjohn Posted May 19, 2006 Posted May 19, 2006 Ok, my daughter last saw the catalog and now it's disappeared, I found the link below and it shows some actual deck prisms recovered from wrecks. It doesnt give a date though. I'll try to nail down a date for them when I get home this evening... I suspect they are late 1700s or early 1800s. My Home on the Web The Pirate Brethren Gallery Dreams are the glue that holds reality together.
The Doctor Posted May 19, 2006 Posted May 19, 2006 I've been schooled by my own brother (a retired Navy captain) that "Deadlights are windows that allow the passive transmission of light in to or out of the vessel. Shuttering of the deadlights is done to secure the vessel for nocturnal action." So, ol' Jack was off the mark yet again... Yo ho ho! Or does nobody actually say that?
Dorian Lasseter Posted May 19, 2006 Posted May 19, 2006 Jack.... Jaaaack....... JAAAACK!!!! No worries mate.... Life is a learning experience.... when ye stop learnin', life ends... So.... Learn something new every day... and live well.... Truly, D. Lasseter Captain, The Lucy Propria Virtute Audax --- In Hoc Signo Vinces Ni Feidir An Dubh A Chur Ina Bhan Air "If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me." Deuteronomy 32:41 Envy and its evil twin - It crept in bed with slander - Idiots they gave advice - But Sloth it gave no answer - Anger kills the human soul - With butter tales of Lust - While Pavlov's Dogs keep chewin' - On the legs they never trust... The Seven Deadly Sins http://www.colonialnavy.org
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