Antique Street Lamps in Barcelona Spain
Barcelona has some amazing street light fixtures from the 19th and 20th centuries. Most of the vintage street lamps are functioning well. These old ones are made of cast iron and have such beautiful designs. Some of them are just single lamp holders while some have 3 or more. This got me interested in history of street lamps.
Street Lamps with Gas
Before the 1800s, most homes, workplaces and streets were lit by candles, oil lamps or rush lights (rush plants dried and dipped in grease or fat).
The first public street lighting was with gas (the gas was a flammable gaseous fuel made from distilling coal). It was demonstrated in Pall Mall, London on January 28th, 1807 by Frederick Albert Winsor.
In those days the lighting-up time varied according to seasons. Lamplighters would be seen with small ladders at dusk and dawn lighting or extinguishing the wicks or mantels of the street lamps.
A variation of this Arc light was used in the 1870s to light the Parisian Streets. These street lights were known as ‘Yablochkov candles’ and named after their Russian inventor Pavel Yablochokv.
Many Victorian gas lanterns are still used with latest modifications like their gas mantels replaced and converted to use electricity.
Arrival of Incandescent Lamps
A brilliant British physicist and chemist, Joseph Swann, is credited with the invention of the carbon fibre filament incandescent lamp. Incandescent light gives the warm, steady, practical and clean light. The disadvantage was that incandescent lighting wouldn’t last very long. The filaments would burn out quickly, making the lamps a costly indulgence.
In 1865 Hermann Sprengel, a German chemist invented the Sprengel pump. This pump achieved the highest vacuum possible. When this pump was applied to Swann’s glass chambers the air could be reduced to one-millionth of its normal volume, which would allow the filament to glow for hundreds of hours.
Evolution of Electric Street Lighting
Around the same time, Thomas Edison, America’s premier inventor was also working on his version creation of the electric light. Edison had the vision and succeeded in creating, producing and supplying it on a grand commercial scale.
Whilst Swann was manufacturing parts in his own home as a cottage industry, Edison was setting up electrical plants all over the world. Within a year Edison’s plants and electrical systems were powering thirteen thousand electric lights. He was an exceptional marketer and placed his products in key areas like the House of Commons to gain maximum impact and publicity.
Cantilevered street lamp that appears all along Barcelona’s most fashionable street.
Vintage Street Lamps from Barcelona
I showed two antique lamps in my post: The Ramblas Ramble Walk, Barcelona. One was the Font de Canaletes, located at the Ramblas, where Barça fans usually gather to celebrate. The other was the lamp hanging from a Chinese dragon. This post has some more Street Lamps in Barcelona, mostly taken as silhouette against the sky to get a clear outline against the sky.
Unusual triple globe pendants of the Carrer Feran. They are attached to the facades of buildings so as to free up space on the sidewalk. Two of them are missing in the first pic.
There is an interesting article of 2012 which mentions: Qatar accused of counterfeiting 1000 street lamps. Spanish lighting brand Santa & Cole has launched a lawsuit accusing the state of Qatar of copying street lighting devised for Barcelona by Catalan designer Beth Galí in 1996.
The public company Ashghal from Qatar forged the “Latina” streetlamp, designed by the architect Beth Galí, and manufactured and marketed by the company Santa & Cole. Nearly 1,000 forged units were installed on Al Waab Street, the main street in Doha.
Street lamps are something which I love. I have always admired the one in Paris. These are even more beautiful
Amazing collection of lamps, from ancient to modern. Great idea.
Wow, how beautiful and intricate piece of architechture of the streetlights! Amazing pictures.
Nice images of colonial era lamps.
wow ! amazing and very beautifully designed lamps really !
great
Lovely pictures..
Gorgeous designs of street lamps!
The street lamps look amazing. Beautiful photographs.
Gorgeous! Have been to Barcelona, I may have seen them, but can't remember. Love how you chose something so basic and integral to our cities and wrote a post on it!
there is definitely something magical about them Indrani….
Beautiful pictures.
Street lamps or pieces of architectures! Nice clicks.
Very pretty pendant lamps reminder of the old world charm
They look so good 🙂
Beautiful pics 🙂
Beautiful capture of antique lamps. 🙂
They look so vintage and classy. Nicely put 🙂
Just loved them all! Old world charm!!
I agree with you. Like you, I too took photos of them.
A very pretty collection Indrani.
Hello, what a great series on the street lamps. The first three are my favorites. Have a happy Friday and weekend ahead!
The street lamps are so pretty.
So beautiful photos
These are all such interesting and beautiful light fixtures. I like all the styles.
Beautiful… glad that the govt is putting efforts in their maintenance
Those are pretty classy
Oh, I love these and they are, indeed, all striking!! Great captures as always, Indrani!! I hope you have a beautiful weekend!! Enjoy!!
those first few are gorgeous! they're all striking!