Long before modern day electricity technology existed, glass lamp chimneys were used to provide light in the dark hours of the night. Most commonly, they were used in combination with traditional oil lights. These traditional lights had many flaws for those that relied on them as their sole means of light. To begin with, the light was often dim and burning the oil created a large amount of smoke. As they were often lit inside of homes, this was a huge problem for households of the past. The flames within the oil lights were infamously known for going out without little provocation or warning. Finally, in the year 1708, a man by the name of Francois-Pierre Aime Argand, set out to improve traditional oil lights. Argand, with a background in chemistry, created oil lights that came equipped with controls and small chimneys made of glass. This material enabled the item to receive more air, yet also prevented the flame from being disturbed. His improvement on traditional lights became very successful and made them much more effective for those that needed them. By using embossed glass chimneys and colored glass chimneys, there is also the ability to create a beautiful look to accent your lamp.
