The Kerosene Lamp 

In the 1700s, the discovery of coal gas led to the rise of gas lighting, which became a popular method of illuminating streets and buildings.

The early 1800s brought another advancement: the arc light, invented by Humphry Davy. Davy discovered that when an electrical current passed between two charcoal electrodes, it produced a bright, steady “arc” of light. Despite this innovation, oil lamps remained widely used—but they had their downsides. Oil could splatter onto passersby, staining clothing or even causing burns, prompting the search for a safer and more efficient alternative.

That search led to a major breakthrough in 1853, when two pharmacists—Jan Zeh and Ignacy Łukasiewicz—discovered that kerosene could be used as a reliable fuel for lighting. Working near the “Under the Golden Star” pharmacy in Lviv, Ukraine, they developed a kerosene lamp that burned brighter, cleaner, and more affordably than oil. They received a patent for their invention later that same year.

Today, Lviv proudly commemorates their contribution with a restaurant-museum dedicated to the kerosene lamp. It houses the second-largest collection of kerosene lamps in Europe, celebrating the innovation that helped light the world before Edison’s bulb changed it forever.