The Argand lamp is a revolutionary oil lamp invented in 1780 by the Swiss physicist Aimé Argand. Featuring a circular wick positioned between two concentric tubes and a glass chimney to improve airflow, the Argand lamp produced a brighter, cleaner and more efficient flame than earlier oil lamps. It quickly became the preferred form of domestic and commercial lighting throughout the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and played a significant role in the evolution of artificial illumination before the widespread adoption of gas and electricity.