Introduction

Do you have one of those old “oil lamps” in your home that may have come into your hands as an heirloom from your grandparents or parents and you just didn't throw it away because it was a family heirloom?

Or maybe you bought one of these lamps at a flea market or antique market because it looked so nostalgic and you wanted to put it up on some sideboard?

Perhaps you have even started collecting such old lamps because they are so wonderfully reminiscent of the "good old days" and spread a homely atmosphere, but you don't really know much about them?

Regardless of why and from where your interest in these lamps was aroused, you will learn a lot about them on this website, possibly close gaps in your knowledge, and possibly, inspired by the photos in the gallery section, start systematically looking for and buying such lamps, repair, collect...

It is therefore also clear that at least the information part of this website is primarily aimed at “beginners”, those who are still at the beginning of a collection idea and cannot find any information or literature on it. The passionate collectors who call several hundred (or several thousand!) lamps their own and also have in-depth information about this collection area and their objects will not discover anything new here; because they already know about all the details. But I hope they too could discover some beautiful, rare, interesting lamps in the collection, or send me corrections or further information where I write something wrong or where my information is simply insufficient...

I will try to put together the information that is necessary to collect and care for the old kerosene/paraffin lamps, at least initially. I am fully aware that I can never answer all the questions that come up, and I'm not the one that you will consult the historical background and technical development steps, because I don't know them well myself and spreading half-truths doesn't really help anyone.

The structure of the website is deliberately divided into two separate groups. In a comprehensive first part under the heading "General Information", information worth knowing about the historical development of the paraffin/kerosene lamp is summarised briefly, its main components are described in detail with explanatory photos, tips and suggestions for its repair and completion are given, literature and sources of purchase are listed and finally the most important materials and their properties are presented.

The second group, entitled "Lamps of the Collection", deals mainly with my collection. Here the stylistic distinctions of the individual producing countries are shown, at least from my personal point of view, and my lamps are presented in several collection photos with very brief descriptions. In addition, each lamp is presented individually with a detailed fact sheet and in photos.

Finally, we have also installed a search window to search specifically for a term or for a lamp in the entire website.