The lamp would originally have been for burning whale oil, which burners very white. Vegetable oils burning were not as bright and used in cheaper lamps (this lamp was clearly owned by someone of wealth). I love the fact that the design puts the clockwork above the oil. The original Carcel design/patent 1800, put the clockwork below the oil in the font necessitating a seal in the base of the font, with its inherent risk of leakage.
![Very Rusty Oil Lamp Restoration [DIETZ D-LITE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4tlHShY4X7Q/mqdefault.jpg)
That's the coolest oil lamp I've ever seen.
Why in the world is youtube... wait a second.
The lamp would originally have been for burning whale oil, which burners very white. Vegetable oils burning were not as bright and used in cheaper lamps (this lamp was clearly owned by someone of wealth). I love the fact that the design puts the clockwork above the oil. The original Carcel design/patent 1800, put the clockwork below the oil in the font necessitating a seal in the base of the font, with its inherent risk of leakage.