Let there be light
- Oct 31, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: Jan 29
In 1833, the vapor light chandelier (featured in the video right) was the height of lighting technology. Naturally, that made it a necessity for George Clarke, a well-read man and member of The Albany Mechanics Society, to include in his “elegant and comfortable” home, Hyde Hall.
Newly patented in 1830, vapor lights, also called air lamps, were unique as they used a fuel called “burning fluid,” a mixture of five parts alcohol and one part turpentine. Unlike whale oil or lard lamps, the vapor light’s flame did not directly touch the wick, but rather
burned the vapor produced by it. The result was a beautiful white light that was both odorless and smokeless, a rarity at the time. For such a sophisticated and useful invention, one may ask what kept the vapor light from becoming a household name. As it turns out, the answer to that question was the possibility of “catastrophic explosions.” The journal Scientific American describes one such case in 1853 about a servant girl who tried using the burning fluid to start a fire but, “to her astonishment, off went the kindling pile like powder, the covers were thrown off the stove, and chips and charcoal scattered over the floor.” Thankfully, no such explosive accidents ever occurred at Hyde Hall and today the vapor light chandeliers still hang proudly in their original home, casting a warm glow on all those who have the chance to experience their timeless (and slightly dangerous) beauty.