Technical developments in the mining lamp industry in the 1930’s, brought a welcome relief to the miner where comfort was concerned. As the successor to the first battery lamp, the pot lamp, a second lamp came on the market which worked on electricity via a battery. It was called the cap lamp.
The cap lamp was easier to handle, lighter and more portable than earlier types of mining lamps. Unlike the rather heavy pot lamp and other types of 'hand lamps', the cap lamp was attached to the miner's clothing. From the mid-1950s, the cap lamp was the most commonly used lamp in the underground mining industry.