Among the practical applications of his research on gases, Volta conceived a lamp powered by flammable air, lit no longer by violent explosions but by slow, controlled combustion. The ignition was triggered by an electric spark produced by a small electrophorus.
In a letter, Volta describes his intention to build a lamp that is ‘pleasant but perhaps also useful’, fuelled by the flammable air native to marshes. The project also stems from discussions with Father Campi and envisages continuous and silent operation, in stark contrast to the detonations experienced in other devices.
Volta also imagined the lamp as a sort of clepsydra, a water clock in which the consumption of gas marks the passing of time. The idea combines practical function, mechanical elegance and demonstrative value, making the instrument suitable for both study and dissemination.
However, the lamp’s autonomy proved to be limited: even in the most advanced versions, a container of flammable air only guaranteed about an hour of operation. For this reason, Volta decided to transform the device into a lamp lighter, a small, refined and functional machine, more suited to practical use than to prolonged lighting.
