Construction Times takes a look at the fascinating journey of lights and switches. The discovery of fire can be considered as a major break-through in the evolution of light.
Even today, in the remotest areas, where electricity supply has not reached, fire is still the only source of illumination. As humans travelled for miles, man-made lighting and torches were widely used. The first lamp was invented made of a shell, hollowed-out rock, or other similar non-flammable object which was filled with a combustible material probably dried grass or wood , sprinkled with animal fat the original lighter fluid and ignited.
Then came the era of gas lamps which were commonly used until the late 18th century. As humans evolved so did their thirst for invention to create a more liveable environment. The greatest invention of mankind in the illumination space has been the electric light bulbs by American inventor and businessman Thomas Alva Edison.
In , Edison built his first high resistance, incandescent electric light. While the incandescent bulbs continued to dominate as the only source of lighting, it was only around that the fluorescent lights were introduced commercially by another American electrical engineer and inventor Daniel McFarlan Moore. During the similar times, yet another US electrical engineer and inventor Peter Cooper Hewitt developed the first mercury-vapor light that was both high efficiency and compatible with standard electrical infrastructure in This not only had higher efficiency, but was also compatible with standard electrical infrastructure.
The 20th century was the period of high intensity discharge HID lamps. Many specialized forms of switches were created including the toggle switch, rotary switch, mercury switch, push-button switch, reversing switch, relay, and circuit breaker, among others. Over the centuries, the journey of light and switches have evolved significantly. Pages would then be prepared to accept the various colored pigments, as well as the delicate gold and silver leaf, with several layers of a plaster, water, sugar, and egg white mixture.
Once set and burnished, monks known as rubricators would then begin the artistic work of illustration, starting with black ink outlines and then filling them in with color. The oldest-known example of an illuminated manuscript, dating back to AD, is an Irish book of psalms called An Cathach. Other examples of illuminated manuscripts include the Book of Durrow produced in the British Isles around AD , the Lindisfarne Gospels produced on an island off the northeast English coast around AD , and perhaps the most famous, the Book of Kells produced in Ireland in the s AD.
Embellishment of texts was a long, elaborate process—and therefore extremely expensive. In the s—the zenith of the practice—only one in ten manuscripts were illuminated. Only the most revered texts received this royal treatment, and were often stored in the confines of monasteries and churches until much later, when wealthy private citizens began acquiring them as status symbols.
The practice of illumination continued unabated worldwide until the invention of the printing press in the mid-fifteenth century, which slowed and then effectively stopped most instances of the labor-intensive process. The Book of Hours was a new type of devotional book that was designed for personal use, allowing lay people to incorporate ceremony into their daily lives.
The Psalter: The Psalter was one of the earliest versions of medieval manuscripts, first appearing as early as the 9th-century. The Psalter contained Psalms and other devotional texts which were recited during the week as morning and evening prayers. The Missal: The Missal is a liturgical service book used by a priest to conduce Mass. A medieval missal was modular in fashion, and typically began with a calendar. It concludes with special notes for votive Masses, which offer protection against temptation and bad omens, as well as the Mass for the Dead.
The Breviary: The Breviary was not typically used at the altar, containing hymns, readings, Psalms, and anthems for morning and evening prayer.
In its full version, the Breviary includes the whole book of Psalms. Unlike the Missal, which was used only by priests, Breviaries were also used monks and laymen. There are slight differences between monastic and secular Breviaries, most notably in the number of lessons contained in each. By examining the calendar within a monastic Breviary, scholars can determine whether it was used in an Augustinian, Dominican, Franciscan monastery.
Guest interacting with the manuscript touchscreen at Park West Museum. To collect a medieval illuminated manuscript from Park West Gallery, attend one of our exciting online auctions or contact our gallery consultants at ext.
Were illuminated manuscripts used to enhance stories and folktales that parishioners would know from childhood? Jeanne October 30, Love this article about illuminated text and Antiphoner.
Al January 30, Illuminated text has peaked my interest. Paige Mcpike March 31, This is awesome about this and we will love it! Barbara Koch April 26, Leave a Comment.
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