For as long as the bicycle has existed, as long as it has needed lighting systems to get around in low visibility and dark conditions. The first lights for two-wheeled steeds were oil lamps and came mostly from England.
An oil lamp on a newspaper peddler's bicycle
abbl1940.be
In the 1890s, companies in Belgium and France began producing carbide or acetylene bicycle lamps.
The source of light in such a lamp was an open flame from burning acetylene - it, in turn, is formed by the interaction of water and calcium carbide.
A Belgian man on a bicycle with a carbide lamp. These can be seen live at the Royal Museum of Army and Military History in Brussels
abbl1940.be
Carbide lanterns shone brightly, but needed regular maintenance. They began to lose popularity only in the mid-1930s with the emergence of safer and more convenient alternatives.
Scheme of the Vitaphare carbide lantern and its catalog advertisement
abbl1940.be and forum.tontonvelo.com
These days, you won't find such accessories on vehicles anymore, but in museums and on Violity you can still see a few rare exquisite specimens, such as this lantern made at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Vitaphare is one of the products of the VITA brand of the French manufacturer Gaston Huyghe of Hazebrouck. The initials G.H. are clearly visible on the lamp.
This unusual antique is sold at a fixed price.
