Artificial Light: Its Influence upon CivilizationLuckiesh, Matthew
History
Artificial Light: Its Influence upon Civilization
Luckiesh, Matthew
Electric lighting; Lighting -- History
Throughout the next thousand years there was little attempt to light the
streets. Iron baskets of burning wood, primitive oil-lamps, and candles
were used to some extent, but during all these centuries there was no
attempt on the part of the government or of individuals to light the
streets in an organized manner. In 1417 the Mayor of London ordained
"lanthorns with lights to bee hanged out on the winter evenings betwixt
Hallowtide and Candlemasse." This was during the festive season, so
perhaps street-lighting was not the sole aim. Early in the sixteenth
century, the streets of Paris being infested with robbers, the
inhabitants were ordered to keep lights burning in the windows of all
houses that fronted on the streets.
For about three centuries the citizens of London, and doubtless of Paris
and of other cities, were reminded from time to time in official
mandates "on pains and penalties to hang out their lanthorns at the
appointed time." The watchman in long coat with halberd and lantern in
hand supplemented these mandates as he made his rounds by,
A light here, maids, hang out your lights,
And see your horns be clear and bright,
That so your candle clear may shine,
Continuing from six till nine;
That honest men that walk along
May see to pass safe without wrong.
In 1668, when some regulations were made for improving the streets of
London, the inhabitants were ordered "for the safety and peace of the
city to hang out candles duly to the accustomed hour." Apparently this
method of obtaining lighting for the streets was not met by the
enthusiastic support of the people, for during the next few decades the
Lord Mayor was busy issuing threats and commands. In 1679 he proclaimed
the "neglect of the inhabitants of this city in hanging and keeping out
their lights at the accustomed hours, according to the good and ancient
usage of this City and Acts of the Common Council on that behalf." The
result of this neglect was "when nights darkened the streets then
wandered forth the sons of Belial, flown with insolence and wine."
In 1694 Hemig patented a reflector which partially surrounded the open
flame of a whale-oil lamp and possessed a hole in the top which aided
ventilation. He obtained the exclusive rights of lighting London for a
period of years and undertook to place a light before every tenth door,
between the hours of six and twelve o'clock, from Michaelmas to Lady
Day. His effort was a worthy one, but he was opposed by a certain
faction, which was successful in obtaining a withdrawal of his license
in 1716. Again the burden of lighting the streets was thrust upon the
residents and fines were imposed for negligence in this respect. But
this procedure after a few more years of desultory lighting was again
found to be unsatisfactory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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