Let there be Light!

Since man discovered fire, he has sought ways of lighting his way in the dark.

Centuries ago, the humble candlestick (with a little help from our friends the bees) lit one's way to bed. 

The oil lamp was invented thousand of years ago. The eighteenth century saw the develoment of a lamp with cylindrical wick, making a larger flame, and a glass cylinder for a chimney, that directed the draft over the flame making it brighter and safer to carry. These lamps were in common use well into the twentieth century (and make a great stand-by for when we have power cuts!).

With the discovery of electricity, and the invention of the incandescent light bulb, electric lighting became ubiquitous in developed countries.  Every home today probably has some form of table lamp.

As we become more and more conscious of the impact of our lifestyles on Mother Earth, more and more options for "greener", more efficient light sources abound.  One of the latest is the LED bulb, with a lifespan and electrical efficiency which is several times greater than the incadescent lamp.  An array of LED bulbs can provide a brighter light, while being feasible to run for many more hours on batteries alone - I use mine to simulate daylight for while working on craft projects in the evening, and as a substitue light for studio lighting still life images.

So there you have it; a very brief history of lighting as illustrated by my entry for this week's Mono Monday challenge.