Name/Title
Canvas Miner's Cap with Oil HeadlampEntry/Object ID
WS.0003Description
Cloth miner's cap with leatherette brim and attached oil wick "teapot" lamp. Wire cleaning brush is attached to one side of the hat with a wire stitch.Context
Style of headgear used by coal miners, primarily as a fixture for open-flame oil-wick lanterns used for visibility in the dark mines. Predates "turtleshell" style helmets, which provided actual protection to the head. Oil lamps were replaced by the carbide lamp, developed in 1910.Collection
Coal Mining ToolsClothing/Dress/Costume Details
Article of Clothing/Dress/Costume
HatNotes
brim is leatheretteMade/Created
Date made
circa 1900Time Period
20th CenturyParts
Count
3Parts
cap, oil lamp, cleaning brushRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Wilma Steele, David Alan CorbinProvenance
Notes
gift of David Alan CorbinExhibition
Life in the Coal CampsInterpretative Labels
Label Type
Usage LabelLabel
“Around 1850, the oil-wick lamp was invented in Scotland. The lamp issued a bare flame, giving off enough light for miners to see what was in front of their face, but not much further. The oil-fueled flame was exceedingly smoky, and could easily ignite flammable gases (mainly methane) found in coal mines. These lamps were worn on soft caps that offered little in the way of protection and were mainly worn for the convenience of having a light source in front of the miner's face.”
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History
collection of Wilma SteeleResearch Notes
Research Type
Donor/Source InformationPerson
Wilma SteeleDate
Feb 7, 2022Notes
Teapot lamp was not original to this cap.
