Dietz Imperial No. 1 Headlight, circa 1902

Kerosene lamps provided light for nighttime driving in the earliest automobiles -- if drivers dared to risk rudimentary cars and poor roads at night. The R.E. Dietz Company had been manufacturing lamps and lanterns for various uses since the 1840s, long before the automobile appeared. By the early 20th century, it had added automotive headlights to its product line.