From Early Stories to Today · Drawing 27
The oil lamp
Around 1900
Before electricity reached every home, people also used oil lamps. A burning wick gave the lamp its light.
Look together
What could you do by the light of this lamp?
An idea to try
Imagine an evening lit by a lamp. Choose a story to tell together and draw where you would like to listen to it.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Québec’s cultural heritage catalogue records a portable oil lamp found at Place-Royale, with production dated between 1870 and 1920. This kind of object offers a way to discuss lighting before electricity was available in every home.
Invite the child to imagine what light makes possible: looking at a book, finding something or gathering around a table. The drawing is a simplified interpretation, not an exact reconstruction of the archaeological lamp. “Around 1900” does not mean every home changed its lighting at the same time.
Sources and context
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
Source review: 2026-09-14. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.