Lot Essay
The Argand lamp was named after its designer, the Swiss scientist François Ami Argand (1750-1803), whose ingenious design used a gravity-fed oil reservoir to produce a much brighter and finer light than was produced by the previous dirty and odorous oil lamps. He patented the design in 1784. Matthew Boulton was introduced to Argand by the Birmingham merchant and glass producer William Parker and spent £2,000 producing and promoting the lamp. When Argand's patent expired in 1786, Boulton continued to produce the lamp and ignored numerous pleas from the inventor that the patent should be renewed.
CAPTION
H.R.H. The Duke of Clarence, later King William IV
Christie's Images
CAPTION
H.R.H. The Duke of Clarence, later King William IV
Christie's Images