Beginning about 1680 and continuing for over a hundred years whaling was an important industry for many towns along the New England coast. Sperm and right whales yielded great quantities of oil that made an excellent and relatively clean and odorless illuminant. A whale oil lamp is one with a whale oil burner. There are specific names for some such as peg, petticoat, sparking, chamber and lens lamps. The lamps have metal or glass fonts of different shapes and designs, some for very specific uses. The whale oil burner has one or more vertical round wick tubes, slightly tapered, extending below the burner plate with slots above the plate for adjusting the wick. The earliest lamps had a simple hole for an all metal drop burner and later a short neck for a cork burner. A threaded metal collar was needed to accommodate the Miles patented burner of 1787.
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| Miniature Silver Whale Oil Lamp |
| Miniature Silver Whale Oil Lamp. Silver. Sterling silver. Lamp has a cap attached with a chain and a hanging handle attached by trunnions. It is marked "Sterling" and stamped with the Lion Passant and a "W". |
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Product ID:
45 |
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Price: $185.00
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| Whale Oil Hand Lamp |
| Whale Oil Hand Lamp. Gray. Tin. The lamp has a strap handle and a double brass whale oil burner. |
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Product ID:
55 |
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Price: $100.00
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| Brass Bull's Eye Whale Oil Lantern |
| Brass Bull's Eye Whale Oil Lantern. Brass . Brass, metal and glass. Lamp has two handles and a clip for hanging, a double fluted cone top, a convex glass lens, a knob at the base that slides an internal bass shutter to regulate the amount of light and a double whale oil burner in a round tin font. |
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Product ID:
56 |
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Price: $175.00
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| Tin Bull's Eye Whale Oil Lantern |
| Tin Bull's Eye Whale Oil Lantern. Dark gray and brass. Tin; brass cap and glass lens. The rectangular lantern has a long bail handle and a slot on back for hanging. The front panel with its bulls eye lens, slides up to show a square tin font with a double brass whale oil burner. |
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Product ID:
59 |
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Price: $225.00
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| Vaseline Glass Lamp |
| Vaseline Glass Lamp. Transparent greenish-yellow. Glass. Blown molded in a hexagonal shape for a drop or cork burner. |
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Product ID:
69 |
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Price: $70.00
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| Brass Whale Oil Guest-room or Pig Lamp |
| Brass Whale Oil Guest-room or Pig Lamp. Brass. Brass. This lamp is very well crafted of heavy brass. The cylindrical reservoir of the lamp has rounded ends, two brass straps attached to the back with holes for hanging, two long brass wick tubes and a brass cap on the filling opening. |
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Product ID:
81 |
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Price: $245.00
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| Glass Whale Oil Lamp |
| Glass Whale Oil Lamp. Clear Glass. Glass. The lamp has a free blown font and stem on a blown molded "cup plate" base. It has a double drop cork whale oil burner. |
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Product ID:
90 |
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Price: $105.00
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| Whale Oil Wine-Glass Lamp |
| Whale Oil Wine-Glass Lamp. Clear Glass. Glass with pewter collar. The lamps font is double blown molded with an applied free blown stem and circular base. The base shows a pontil mark. |
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Product ID:
92 |
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Price: $175.00
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| Whale Oil Cobalt Blue Lamp |
| Whale Oil Cobalt Blue Lamp. Cobalt blue font; clear stem and base. Free blown and pressed glass. The free blown globe shaped font is cobalt blue and the short stem and base are of clear pressed glass. The square, stepped pattern of the stem and base are a typical Sandwich Glass pattern. The stem "cups" the globe. The lamp has a double whale oil drop cork burner. |
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Product ID:
97 |
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Price: $245.00
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