Box of Night Lights Fabriqué à la Gare / Jeunet - 1890–1920
Wick night light
A round box for oil night lights made of molded cardboard, produced by the Veilleuses Françaises factory at the Vitry-sur-Seine train station.
It contains the system patented by Jeunet—winner of a silver medal at the 1891 Exposition du Travail.
All boxes are unique, showing varying degrees of wear from the passage of time, with varying amounts of oil remaining, and varying degrees of yellowing.
Description
Box of Night Lights Fabriqué à la Gare / Jeunet - 1890–1920
Wick night light
Box of oil-filled night lights made of bent spruce wood slats, dating from the second half of the 19th century (circa 1860–1880).
Immerse yourself in the intimacy of early 20th-century Parisian bedrooms with this authentic nightlight box. Manufactured by Veilleuses Françaises at the Vitry-sur-Seine train station, it contains the essential accessories for nighttime lighting before the age of electricity. System patented by Jeunet—Silver Medal at the 1891 Exposition du Travail.
The nightlight was an ingenious and economical system: the holder floated on a thin layer of oil.
A single small wick provided a soft, soothing glow for about 10 hours—ideal for keeping watch over a sick person or comforting a child.
The interior still contains a large number of wick holders made of mineral paste—with a grayish, matte, rubber-like appearance—along with their original through-wicks, designed to float on the surface of the vegetable oil bath.
A charming, popular object, steeped in history.
Diameter: 6.8 cm
All boxes are unique, showing varying degrees of wear from the passage of time, with varying levels of fullness, and varying degrees of yellowing.
