By: Basheer Mossallam

William Murdoch was the first to discover the idea for gas lighting.

Fredrick Winzer was the first to patent the gas lighting.

Samuel Clegg started the first gas lighting company, “The Gas Light and Coke Company.”

The idea was discovered in the 1790’s. The first patent was made in 1807. The first company was started in 1812.

William Murdoch founded the idea in Birmingham, England.

Fredrick Winsor made the first patent on gas lights in London.

The Gas Light and Coke Company started in Westminster, London.

To fuel the gas lighting, coal was the most popular source of power. Before coal, oil and sometimes carbon was used, but coal was found to be much more efficient.

Gas powered lighting was used for better illumination on roads and houses.

It was found to be more efficient and reliable then the old oil filled lamps.

Coal was pretty common at the time, making it very easy to fuel and power.

In 1816, gas lighting spread to Baltimore, Maryland, making it the first city in the United States to adopt the idea.

The most common way gas lighting spread was through ships and telegram communication, where messages talking about the new source of lighting was being sent.

Spread in popularity after Civil War. By 1870’s they were the major source of

street lighting in the U.S. Because of the better illumination,

transportation became safer at night.

The era of gas lighting finally ended around 1910 when William Coolidge invented a tungsten-filament lamp capable of giving 10 lumens per watt.

A lumen is the measurement of how much light is being given.

This was one of the major leading causes of the era of electrical lighting.