Oil Can

Creator:

A.M. Catropia

Creation Date:

1981

Accession Number:

I-0299i

This can probably held kerosene, one of the most common fuels in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Distilled from coal, kerosene was used for light, heating and cooking. Advertisements for kerosene stoves emphasized that they burned without heat, making for a more comfortable kitchen. However, wealthier women in less rural environments were more likely to own such a stove; the fuel was probably most often used for lamps and lanterns for sharecroppers.