Old Lamp Values        An Online Guide to Antique Lamps

Fluid Lamps

Fluid lamps are some of the oldest lamps still in use today. 

The term ‘fluid lamp’ refers to the liquid state of the lamp’s fuel.  These types of old lamps used liquid fuels like kerosene,  whale oil, and even ‘burning fluid’ mixtures made up of various flammable components to create light.

Unlike today’s lamps, nineteenth century lamps were not completely hollow on the inside. Instead, old lamps made in the 1800s featured a container in the base called a font. The font of an old lamp will tell you what kind of liquid fuel the fluid lamp was made to burn.

For instance, a nineteenth century lamp with a font shaped like an upside-down pear is most likely a whale oil lamp. A nineteenth century lamp with a font shaped like a sphere would have used kerosene as it’s liquid fuel.

If you have a fluid lamp you would like to know more about, send us an email with a picture of it and we’d be happy to give you our opinion and make a purchase offer.

If you aren’t sure what kind of old lamp you have, ask us about it! We’re always happy tell our customers more about their old lamps.

Here are some frequently asked questions about  fluid lamps:

Where can I sell my fluid lamp?

How much is a fluid lamp worth?

Is my fluid lamp a reproduction?

Also see:  Kerosene Lamps, Burning Fluid Lamps, Whale Oil Lamps, Gone with the Wind Lamps