Very little is known about inventor Isaiah Jennings (1792–1862). However, patent records show that from the 1830s through the 1850s, Jennings invented a number of improvements to 19th-century lamps. For example, he developed a new fuel combining alcohol and turpentine as a substitute for traditional whale oil. He also developed a device for regulating and adjusting a lamp’s wick. Jennings also invented an early form of matches he called “Prometheans.” This video is featured in the "Men of Progress" section of the American Enterprise exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. (The video does not include an audio track). Teachers, parents, educators! Check out our resources to use these videos in the classroom here: https://historyexplorer.si.edu/resource/men-progress-video-series Section link: americanhistory.si.edu/american-enterprise-exhibition/videos/men-progress Exhibition link: americanhistory.si.edu/american-enterprise
