New Book Documents Canary Islands' Transition to Electric Light

For ages, people have searched for ways to bring light into their lives and surroundings. They've experimented with different materials and methods to create and use light. From burning wood, oil, and gas to the invention of electric light, the way we illuminate our homes and public spaces has completely changed.

What we take for granted today was very different just 132 years ago. After sunset, homes on the Canary Islands used lamps burning palm oil, thick candles, or kerosene. Streets were lit with torches, oil lamps, or gaslights.

The first cities to use electric streetlights were Godalming in England and Girona in Spain. This technology arrived in the Canary Islands on December 31, 1893, starting in Santa Cruz de La Palma. It later spread to other towns like La Orotava, Arucas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, San Sebastián de La Gomera, Valverde, Güímar, Icod de Los Vinos, Arrecife, and Fuerteventura.

This significant shift from near darkness to electric light, representing a major human effort to bring electrical energy to the islands, along with how it was produced and used, has now been documented in a detailed 200-page book. The book is called "The Prehistory of Lighting and Electricity in the Canary Islands" and is written by Antonio Salgado, an auditor and writer from Tenerife.

Salgado, who is originally from La Palma, worked for many years at Unión Eléctrica de Canarias (Unelco). This experience led him to become fascinated by thermostats, transformers, and electricity poles, sparking his curiosity about where the islands' energy came from. "Nowadays, you just flip a switch, and the light comes on. But I wanted to know what people did before electricity existed. That curiosity drove me to research and gather the information that shaped this book," Salgado explained.

He added that "the president of Unelco at the time, Eduardo de la Cruz, helped me access data from all the islands. Once I had this information, I started looking into how lighting was introduced to the streets, squares, and homes across the archipelago. La Palma was the first island to get electricity in 1893, using the water power from the Caldera de Taburiente."

Salgado noted that "this event caused quite a stir on the other islands. Many people couldn't understand how La Palma could afford such a luxury, while those in Tenerife and Gran Canaria were still using gas or kerosene lamps, especially since Santa Cruz de Tenerife had been the capital of the Canary Islands since 1882."

Electricity reached Tenerife's capital in 1897, four years after La Palma. "This delay was due to powerful interests in Santa Cruz connected to the oil trade, whose owners feared losing their business," Salgado said. He also mentioned that "the warnings against electricity were quite amusing. People were told not to even consider electric light, as standing under a streetlight could cause burns and headaches."

During that time, Salgado pointed out, "in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, only two places had electricity: the Hotel Camacho, which featured 37 rooms with electric power and call bells, and the Casino. The rest of the capital continued to be lit by kerosene or oil. However, the first town in Tenerife to have electric lighting was La Orotava, followed by Arucas in Gran Canaria. Meanwhile, much of Tenerife remained in semi-darkness."

This lack of public lighting in the capital prompted the City Council to form a committee to oversee its installation. In 1896, they put the contract for public electric lighting up for auction, which was won by Juan Martí Balcells. Months later, the Tenerife Electric and Industrial Company was founded, and construction began on the building that would house the main power station and offices. The architect for this project was Antonio Pintor. The site chosen was in the Plaza de la Carnicería, next to the Slaughterhouse (which is now where the Mapfre building stands).

The book covers stories about light, starting from how the ancient Guanches sought to harness it for warmth, cooking, and illumination, all the way to the last island to receive electricity. This extensive history has now been compiled into a book that "took me a long time to create, but it was done with care and affection. I also want to thank Pablo Alfonso, a publisher from Madrid, for believing in this project and making it possible, as people here seem rather indifferent," the author stated.

Salgado also offers a dual perspective on urban light, questioning what kind of light truly emanates from the city and what its reality is as a shared endeavor. He argues that present-day Santa Cruz de Tenerife has lost its former strong and distinctive character, as evidenced by the iconic Farola del Mar (Lighthouse of the Sea), which remains unlit.