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| Lamp posts in front of the Louvre museum |
Location: 2 Rue Saint Denis
English translation
"A gas process known as the “thermolamp”, developed by Philippe Lebon, was tested as early as 1800, but remained of very limited use. On the evening of January 1, 1829, the municipality illuminated the Place du Carrousel and the Rue de Rivoli, and gas lights were gradually adopted. The illumination of the Grands Boulevards was a triumph in 1857: “these two alleys of candelabras, from which a pure white light shines, create a marvellous effect” testifies Delphine de Girardin. The heyday proved short-lived: in 1887, following the fire at the Opéra-Comique and its hundred or so fatalities, public opinion unanimously called for electric lighting, which had already been attempted on Place de la Concorde (1843). The city council entrusted the systematic installation to six private companies, which shared the capital in 1889; but the network's progress depended on its profitability until unification on January 1, 1914, under the aegis of the Parisian Electricity Distribution Company (Compagnie parisienne de distribution de l'électricité)." (Translated by DeepL and ChatGPT)
Background notes
- A thermolamp was a device developed by Philippe Lebon, a French engineer, that used gas derived from wood to produce light. It was an early precursor to gas lighting. Lebon patented his thermolamp in 1799 and showcased it in his home and at exhibitions, but it never gained widespread use. It remained of limited use due to technical challenges, inefficiency, and the high cost of producing and distributing gas at the time. Additionally, there were safety concerns about flammability and the need for a reliable supply network.
- By the 1820s, gas lights utilised coal gas, which was more economical and practical to produce than the wood gas used in the thermolamp. They required a network of gas lines for distribution and offered brighter and more consistent lighting, making them suitable for widespread urban use.
- Delphine de Girardin, who referred to the impact of gas lighting in Paris, was a French writer, poet, and journalist known for her literary salons and social commentaries. She often wrote under the pseudonym "Charles de Launay."
- The Opéra-Comique fire on May 25, 1887, was a catastrophic blaze that resulted in over 100 deaths. It highlighted the dangers of gas lighting in enclosed spaces, as gas lamps were believed to have exacerbated the fire. The tragedy galvanised public opinion in favour of safer electric lighting, accelerating its adoption in Paris.
- The 1843 experiment at Place de la Concorde was one of the earliest uses of electric lighting in Paris, using carbon arc lamps (which were quite different from later electric lighting systems). Early electric lighting was expensive, required significant infrastructure, and was less reliable than gas lighting. It wasn’t until technological advancements and safety concerns (like those raised by the 1887 fire) that electric lighting became viable and widely accepted.
- The intial expansion of electric lighting in Paris was driven by private companies, which prioritised areas where they could make a profit. Wealthier neighborhoods and central areas were electrified first, while less profitable areas lagged behind.
- On January 1, 1914, the Parisian Electricity Distribution Company took over, standardising and accelerating the electrification process. By 1919, significant portions of Paris had electric lighting, with complete coverage across all arrondissements by the mid-1920s.
- The location of the sign on Rue Saint-Denis, reflects its status as one of the oldest and most bustling streets in Paris, which would have been among the first to experience advancements in public lighting.