Research and Reference:
The Rushlight Club’s purpose is to encourage, and assist in, the study and research of lighting devices and fuels. Over the years it has developed an impressive cumulative body of knowledge.
The Rushlight, a quarterly journal, has been published continuously since 1934. Club members share their knowledge and research through written articles in The Rushlight. (see select articles below)
Cumulative indexes track over 4000 Rushlight pages of scholarly research, patent information, reproductions of lighting-related advertising.
(1980-2006 index available)
The Club also reviews lighting-related books. (see reviewed books below)
Select Articles from The Rushlight Journal
- David Melville and the First American Gas Light Patents
- Bradley and Hubbard Manufacturing Company
- The Rushlight or Rush Candle of Old England
- The Evolution of the Match
- Circus Flare Tells of Early Joys
- What is a Rushlight?
Rushlight Journal articles are copyrighted and may not be used or reprinted without the written permission of The Rushlight Club Inc.
Publications available online:
- Lighting Catalogs and Brochures
List of Online Reference Material - The Rushlight 1980-2006 Cumulative Index (PDF)
The Rushlight Club publishes lighting-related books and reprints catalogs and booklets of historical interest. Hard copies of the following publications may be purchased from the Club. Additionally, the Club may offer books on lighting at a discount to members.
- Early Lighting, a Pictorial Guide.
An overview of lighting devices throughout history. - The Dietz & Company Illustrated Catalogue of 1860, First Edition, 1982.
A reprint of the Dietz Catalog of 1860 with a “New History of Dietz and Victorian Lighting” by Ulysses G. Dietz
Book Reviews:
- Book Review: Center-Draft Kerosene Lamps, 1884-1940: Identification…
- Book Review: The Dietz & Company Illustrated Catalogue of 1860
- Book Review: The Evolution of the Kerosene Mantle Burner
The Rushlight Club reference materials are archived in Waldorf, Maryland. Members should contact Dan Mattaush via email at dan@gaslights.org to make arrangements for accessing the archives. Non-members must have written permission from the Club before contacting Dan Mattaush. To gain written permission from the Club contact any officer of the Club.
Materials available are shown below.
Reference Books (PDF) Trade Catalogs (PDF) Misc. Materials (PDF)