Lampe Berger

The television, the radio, the internet, cars and airplanes, are just some of the few amazing scientific inventions in history. Smaller inventions often end up going unnoticed and taken for granted. While it may seem different, in no way are these scientific inventions smaller. How many of us realize the importance of fans or nuts and bolts in our daily lives? Another such delightful but ignored invention was that of a fragrance lamp.

In 1898, the first fragrance lamp was created by Maurice Berger, a pharmacist. They were named Lampe Berger after him and became famous by that name. They were originally created to purify the air of hospital wards. The initial design was simple and was composed of fragrance oils which when burnt, diffused into air and disinfected the air, leaving behind a pleasant smell.

As hospitals advanced air cleansing soon became an important part of the hospital premises. Soon after fragrance lamps became a mainstay in air freshening. From 1907 onwards, the lamps started being commercially produced as Lampe Berger lamps. Until 1907 the lamps were merely associated with use in hospitals. However, the company took a more consumer based approach and thus the lamps became a vital part of many households. The producers turned the lamps into objects of beauty. They started being produced in glass, porcelain, and more expensive and more innovative materials like crystal and satin glass. And soon there were more fragrance options available that could eliminate tougher odors such as that of fish, broccoli, and ginger almost instantly. As a result, the French, who have always been mesmerized by beauty and fragrance, became addicted to these lamps. They were desired by all, especially as a living room adornment and air freshener.

The lamps are still widely popular. And why wouldn't they be? Their easy to use technique has kept their popularity alive even after hundred years. These lamps are multi functional i.e. they purify air, they burn to give light and they are delicate objects of beauty. Different from other multi functioning objects, this lamp performs its three duties extremely well. Other fragrance lamps will use sixteen ounces to only offer the customer about fifty five burnings with forty five minutes of light. These lamps will come in handy when aerosols and air conditioners fail, they are truly a great scientific invention.

Lampe Berger