Carbide lamp

This lamp was used for mining. It consists of two cylindrical metal containers placed on top of each other, to which a round reflector is attached. The upper handle serves as a carrying grip. This model dates from around 1950 and was manufactured by the F. Schweisfurth company in Herdorf. The upper container is the water tank from which single drops drip into the carbide container below. The chemical conversion process thereby produces acetylene gas which escapes through the burner in the centre of the umbrella-shaped reflector. There it burns in the oxygen in the air with a bright flame, illuminating the entire field of vision. Carbide lamps provided a much brighter light than the oil lamps previously employed in mining, which helped to improve working conditions and visibility. The fuel lasted around 10 hours with the usual design. In Siegerland, carbide lamps were used until the 1950s. They were replaced by electric lighting in the 1960s, towards the end of active mining in Siegerland.