"My sole object was to serve the cause of humanity, and if I succeeded
I am amply rewarded in the gratifying of having done so" -Humphry Davy, on his lamp

1816 First printing of the announcement and description of Humphry Davy's safety-lamp,
responsible for saving countless lives of coal miners and
for advancing the cause of the industrial revolution

a fine, uncut copy

"The accidents arising from the explosion of the fire-damp or inflammable gas of coal mines, mixed with atmospherical air, are annually becoming more frequent and more destructive in the colliers in the North of England. A committee has been for some time formed at Sunderland for the benevolent purpose of investigating the causes of these accidents, and of searching for means of preventing them. In consequence of an invitation from the Rev. Dr. Gray, one of the most active members of this committee, I was induced to turn my attention to the subject..."

In the late 18th century, several horrific mining explosions in England led to a committee being formed to address the issue of miners' safety. Sir Humphry Davy, already known for several important chemical discoveries, in 1815 presented his designs for a new type of safety lamp before the Royal Society. "The Davy lamp is based upon the principle that to be ignited a substance must first be heated to its kindling temperature and that if such heating is prevented combustion will not occur. The flame in the lamp is surrounded by a metal-gauze screen that distributes the heat over a large area so that the maximum temperature of the screen is below the ignition temperature of the flammable gas mixture (e.g., firedamp)... If firedamp or related gas mixtures are present in a mine, the Davy lamp flame burns higher and with a blue halo; the height of the flame and color of the halo indicate the amount of combustible gas in the air. If the mine air is deficient in oxygen, the lamp flame is extinguished. Coal miners often placed the safety lamp close to the ground to detect gases, e.g., carbon dioxide, that are denser than air and thus collect in poorly ventilated depressions in the mine" (Columbia Encycolpedia). Although the Davy lamp has been succeeded by lamps using electric light, many of the principles involved have been incorporated into the lamps used today. Davy's much-publicized invention was important in the progression of the industrial revolution, giving strong evidence that science could be used to overcome an increasing number of modern problems. Dibner 181. Norman 612. Also included is another issue from 1815 containing Davy's "Some experiments and observations on the colours used in painting by the Ancients." With large folding plate illustrating Davy's lamp. Extremely clean. A fine copy.

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