Simply put a lamp is a device that generates light, heat or some sort of therapeutic radiation (like the laser ones). The word that derives its roots from Middle English lampe or Latin lampas is one everyday device that can gets taken for granted but can slice through any density of darkness with a flick of the switch.
The humble lamp started out as far back as the Stone Age, historians suggest. Back then it was just a hollow rock, probably filled with absorbent moss or something similar that could be soaked with animal fat. Since then it has seen several modifications and has been improved upon to give it its present form and now the term is used for all types of lighting devices used for illumination. Though it’s shape, fuel used, the wick…all have changed forms, the basic working principle is still the same.
This simple illumination device has been part and parcel of mankind’s collective history and was used in various forms across cultures in ancient times. Egyptians and the people of Central Asia used terracotta saucers, the Greek invented torches, the Romans improvised them with multiple spouts and the Hebrews used the seven-branched candlestick. Most religious ceremonies use a lighting device of some kind because light is a universal symbol of everything sacred. These devices were usually cumbersome but now, you just have to press an electrical switch and there you are!
We use them in our everyday life to illuminate a room, to set a particular mood, to showcase our prized possessions or even to burn the midnight oil. This humble light source is traded in flea markets, dime stores, branded retail houses and even the Internet. Some people collect them others use them to beautify their homes. Whatever the reason, there is always need to let there be light.