Homes, Trades and Games of Long Ago · Drawing 29 of 40
The oil lamp
Around 1900
In a home without electric lighting, an oil lamp was lit in the evening. A small flame burns at the tip of the wick, and the glass protects it from drafts. Its light is enough to read a book.
Look together
What protects the little flame?
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
The oil lamp lit Québec evenings long after electric lighting became available. A wick dips into the reservoir, the flame burns at its tip and the glass chimney shields it from drafts; the one drawn recalls a lamp from Place-Royale in Québec City, made between 1870 and 1920. In town, gas lit a few Montréal shops as early as 1837 and electric street lighting developed in the late nineteenth century. In rural areas, access to electricity expanded at different rates. The Office de l’électrification rurale, created in 1945, encouraged the formation of electricity cooperatives.
Invite your child to imagine what light makes possible in the evening: reading the book open on the table, finding an object, gathering around a table. The “around 1900” marker does not mean every house changed its lighting at the same time.
Sources and illustration notes (4)
Original simplified illustration for colouring; not a historical document.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec — Lampe à huileLampe à huile de Place-Royale, production 1870–1920; réservoir, mèche et éclairage.
- Hydro-Québec — 1945-1959, les premières réussitesCréation de l’Office de l’électrification rurale en 1945 et encouragement aux coopératives; aucun pourcentage de foyers n’est retenu.
- Rébellions et Patriotes — 1837, premier éclairage au gaz à MontréalPremier éclairage au gaz à Montréal le 23 novembre 1837; développement de l’éclairage électrique des rues à la fin du 19e siècle.
- Hydro-Québec — Les années pionnièresDéveloppement de l’éclairage électrique; le contrat montréalais de 1889 concerne une extension, pas l’invention de l’électricité ni les toutes premières lampes.
Source review: 2026-09-19. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
