Acetylene lamp was lighted by chemical reaction between acetylene and water. The lamp was a familiar device in miners’ families in early 20th century. The lamp illustrates a hard time in the victorious mining are.
When he was living at No.595 on Le Thanh Tong Street, Bach Dang Ward, Ha Long City, Mr. Pham Giam, presented us an acetylene lamp – his family’s memorabilia kept for 2 generations. The lamp is not rusty at all though it was made from bronze.
It is golden brown. There are a 6-ponited star and French alphabets ("S.O.D.O" and "Breveté") written on the lamp. So it is thought an imported device into Vietnam. On those days, just wealthy miners could afford such an imported lamp. With a weight of 2kg, the lamp is rather heavy. It does not have handles. It is put in a wooden cage. When the lamp is carried, the cage is carried along.
Quang Ninh Museum is preserving an acetylene lamp made from blue-gray zinc. It weights 719g. Some parts on the lamp are rusty. It was discovered in Dec. 1990 in Bac Ma (Dong Trieu District) and handed over to the district’s Office of Culture and Information at that time. After that, the lamp was donated to Quang Ninh Museum.
Acetylene lamps used at households are bigger and heavier than those carried into mines. Its light is not compared with light in mines nowadays. However, it inspired artists. Artist Nguyen Hoang, a former laborer at Ha Lam Mine, used to go down into mines to draw miners who worked under creeping light of acetylene lamps. Many of his works had won awards and been exhibited and displayed by museums.
The acetylene lamp was not only reflected in art but also in sculpture. Specifically, the monument “Glory of Vietnam’s miners” in Cam Pha City describes the image of traditional miners. The hefty miner’s left hand carries an acetylene lamp and the other hand carries a hammer on his shoulder.
Translated by Quynh Trang
