Bernard Guillaume Carcel

1 product

1 product
Pair of French Carcel Polished Bronze Table Lamps with Corinthian columns and lion paw feet, circa 1840.
Pair of French Carcel Polished Bronze Table Lamps showing detailed bronze base with lion mask paw feet and internal oil pump mechanism.
Pair of French Carcel Polished Bronze Table Lamps
Collection CK40

Bernard Guillaume Carcel was a French clockmaker and inventor renowned for his 1800 invention of the Carcel lamp, a significant advancement in oil lighting technology. The Carcel lamp addressed the inefficiencies of earlier oil lamps by integrating a clockwork-driven pump mechanism, which automatically fed oil from a reservoir below the burner to the flame above. This innovation ensured a steady, reliable light without frequent refilling or wick adjustments, using thick colza oil that previously had flow issues due to its viscosity. Carcel’s design not only improved brightness and consistency but also allowed for longer, unattended use, making it highly popular among the bourgeoisie and intellectuals of 19th-century France.

 

Image Copyright: CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris
Recently viewed