OLD-TIME LIGHTS
Since the introduction of gas and electric light, the old-time lamp has
ceased to be a necessity, though in many instances it still does service
as the receptacle for the gas jet or electric bulb. Likewise,
candlesticks and candelabra are still in use, not, of course, as
necessities, as they were a century ago, but yet doing efficient service
in the homes of people who realize that the soft glow of the candle
affords an artistic touch that nothing else can give. Undeniably, there
is a peculiar fascination about candlelight that few can resist, and in
whatever room it is used, that room is benefited through its
attractiveness.
It is only when harking back that one realizes the strides that have
been made in house lighting. In the early days, when the country was
new, the only light was firelight, candlewood, or pine torches. To be
sure, there was always the punched lantern, hung on the wall ready for
use at a moment's notice, but this was for outside rather than inside
lighting.
The earliest artificial light used by the colonist was candlewood, or
pine torches. These torches were cut from trees in near-by forests, and
were in reality short sections of dry, pitch-pine log from the heart of
the wood, cut into thin strips, eight inches in length. The resinous
quality of the wood caused these little splinters to burn like torches,
hence their name. The drippings from them were caught on flat stones,
which were laid just inside the fireplace; and to make a brighter light
several torches were burned at one time, their steady flame, combined
with the flickering blaze of the roaring logs, casting into the room
just enough light by which to accomplish the simple tasks which had to
be performed after nightfall.
Even this rude means of lighting was not available in some homes, for it
is not uncommon to read in old chronicles of lessons being learned by
the light of the fire only. While such a state of affairs would be
looked upon as a calamity to-day, it was not without compensation, for
the merry flames of the huge logs, as they flickered and danced on the
hearth, cast a cheerful light on the closed shutters, and against the
brown walls, much to the delight of the little ones, who, seated on rude
benches close at hand, threw hickory shavings into the fire to make it
flame faster, or poked the great backlog with the long iron peel to make
the sparks fly upward.
Candlewood fagots were in use throughout New England until the early
part of the eighteenth century, and it was customary each fall to cut
enough wood to supply the family demand for a year. In some Northern
states, these fagots were commonly used until 1820, while in the South
they are used in a few sections even to-day, being often carried in the
hand like a lantern.
When candles were first used here, they were imported from England, but
their cost was so high that they were prohibitive save for festive
occasions. The scarcity of domestic animals in the new land barred their
being killed save for meat, and thus was lost an opportunity for candle
making that was seriously felt. Some people, including Governors
Winthrop and Higginson, in 1620 sent to England for supplies of tallow
or suet to make their own candles, but the majority had to be content
with candlewood. These first candles were fashioned without wicks, being
provided instead with pith taken from the common rush and generally
known as rush light,--a lighting which possessed disadvantages, inasmuch
as it burned but dimly and lasted but a short time. Even in 1634 we find
that candles could not be bought for less than fourpence apiece,--a
price above the limited purses of the majority. Fortunately, the rivers
were abundantly stocked with fish, and these were caught and killed, and
their livers tried out for oil. This oil, which was crude, was
principally used in lanterns, the wicks being made of loosely spun hemp
and tow, often dipped in saltpeter.
[Illustration: PLATE XLIX.--Whale Oil Lamps with Wicks; Mantel Lamps,
1815; Paul and Virginia Candelabra.]
The earliest lamp was a saucer filled with oil, and having in the center
a twisted rag. This rude form of wick was used for over a century. Then
came the Betty lamp, a shallow receptacle, in form either circular,
oval, or triangular, and made of pewter, iron, or brass. Filled with
oil, it had for a wick the twisted rag, which was stuck into the oil and
left protruding at one side. This type came into use before the
invention of matches, and was lighted by flint and steel, or by a live
coal.
A most unique specimen of the early lamp is seen in a Salem home. It
stands about six inches high, with a circumference of about twelve
inches, and is an inch thick. It is made of iron, showing a liplike
pitcher, while at the back is a curved handle. It is arranged to be
filled with oil, and the wick is the twisted rag, which rests on the
nose. Tradition relates that this lamp was used at the time of the
witchcraft delusion, to light the unfortunate prisoners to jail.
When whale-fishing became the pursuit of the colonists, an addition to
the lighting requisites was discovered in the form of sperm secured from
the head of the whale. This proved very valuable in the manufacture of
candles, which gave a much brighter light than the older type. So
popular did this oil become that in 1762 a factory was established at
Germantown, at that time a part of Quincy, to manufacture sperm oil from
its crude state; and candles made from this oil were later sold in Salem
by one John Appleton.
At this period, candle making was a home industry, being included in the
fall work of every good housewife. At candle season, two large kettles,
half filled with water, were hung on the long iron crane over the
roaring fire in the kitchen, and in this the tallow was melted, having
to be scalded twice before it was ready for use. Across large poles
placed on the back of two chairs, smaller ones, known as candle rods,
were laid, and to each one of these was attached a wick. Each wick in
turn was dipped into the boiling tallow and then set away to cool. This
way of making candles was slow and tedious, and it required skill to
cool them without cracking, though an experienced candle-maker could
easily fashion two hundred a day.
Bayberry candles, so much in favor to-day, were also made in early
times. The berries were gathered in the fall, and thrown into boiling
water, the scum carefully removed as it formed. At first a dirty green
color was secured, but as the wax refined, the coloring changed to a
delicate, soft green. Candles of this type were not so plentiful as
those of tallow, for the berries emitted but little fat, and they were
therefore carefully treasured by their makers. To-day these candles are
the most popular of all makes, emitting a pungent odor as they burn, but
their cost sometimes makes them prohibitive. Instead of the housewife
always attending to this tedious task, it was sometimes performed by a
person who went from house to house, making the winter's supply of
bayberry candles. It was customary for every housekeeper in those
days to have quantities of these in her storeroom, often as many as a
thousand.
With the increase in sheep, many were killed, and the tallow obtained
used for candle making. Such candles were provided with wicks made from
loosely spun hemp, four or five inch lengths being suspended from each
candle rod. The number of wicks used depended largely on the size of the
kettle of boiling water and tallow. First the wicks were very carefully
straightened, and then dipped into the tallow, and when cold this
process was repeated until the candle had attained the right shape.
Great care had to be exercised in this respect, and also that the tallow
was kept hot, the wicks straight, and that the wicks were not dipped too
deep in the boiling tallow. In drying, care was taken lest they dry too
quickly or too slowly, and also that a board was placed underneath to
catch the drippings. These drippings, when cool, were scratched from the
board and used over.
The introduction of candle molds lessened the task of candle making to a
great extent, and, in addition, secured a better-shaped candle, and one
that burned longer than the old dip type. With their advent came into
vogue professional candle-makers, men who traveled all over the country,
taking with them large molds. In two days' time, so rapidly did they
work, they could make the entire stock for a family's winter supply.
These candles, when complete, were very carefully packed away in wooden
boxes to insure safety from mice. They were a jolly set of men, these
candle-makers, who pursued the work for love of the roving life it
afforded, as well as for the money it netted. They came equipped with
the latest gossip, and their presence was a boon to the tired house
mother, whose duties did not allow of much social intercourse.
Ordinarily, candles were very sparingly used, but on festive occasions
they were often burned in great quantities. At Hamilton Hall, in Salem,
built at a cost of twenty-two thousand dollars, this mode of lighting
was a feature, and in the early part of the nineteenth century, when the
hall was the scene of the old assemblies, it was lighted by innumerable
candles and whale-oil lamps, so many being required to properly illumine
it that it took John Remond, Salem's noted caterer of that period,
several days to prepare them for use. In those days, informal parties
were much in vogue, commencing promptly at six and closing promptly at
twelve, even if in the midst of a dance. The dances then enjoyed were of
the contra type, waltzes and polkas being at that day unknown. The
gentlemen at these gay assemblies came dressed in Roger de Coverley
coats, small-clothes, and silken stockings, while the ladies were
arrayed in picturesque velvets and satins, the popular fabrics of the
period.
[Illustration: PLATE L.--Astral Lamps, 1778; English brass branching
Candlestick, showing Lions.]
Candlesticks seem always to have been considered a part of the house
furnishings in America, for we find accounts of them in the earliest
records of the colonies. Many of these were brought from England, and in
colonial dwellings still standing we find excellent specimens still
preserved. The first candlesticks extensively used here were rudely
fashioned of iron and tin, being among the first articles of purely
domestic manufacture found in New England. Later, with the building of
more pretentious homes, candlesticks made of brass, pewter, and silver
came into vogue, the brass ones being the most commonly used, as well as
candelabra, and in the homes of the wealthier class were found brass
wall sconces that were imported from London and France.
[Illustration: PLATE LI.--Colonial Mantel Lamp; Single bedroom brass
Candlestick; Sheffield Plate Candlesticks.]
A particularly fine pair of these sconces is found in the Osgood house
on Chestnut Street, Salem. Here the brass filigree work is in the form
of a lyre encircled with a laurel wreath, and surmounted by the head of
Apollo. The tree branches curve gracefully outward from the wreath and
below the lyre.
In the early part of the eighteenth century, snuffers and snuffer boats,
as the trays in which the candlesticks rested were known, came into use.
These were sometimes of plain design, and sometimes fanciful, made
either of brass or silver. Pewter was also used for this purpose, and
later it became a favorite metal for the manufacture of hall lamps and
candlesticks.
[Illustration: PLATE LII.--Pierced, or Paul Revere Lantern; Old Hand
Lantern; English Silver Candlesticks; Brass Branching Candlesticks,
Chippendale, 1760.]
Lanterns next came into style and were a prominent feature of the
hallway furnishing. Many of these were gilded and many were painted, and
their greatest period of popularity was during the first part of the
eighteenth century. About 1750 the first glass lamps came into favor.
These were not like those of a later period, being very simple in form,
and not particularly graceful.
In 1782 a Frenchman, named Argand, introduced the lamp which still bears
his name. This marked the beginning of the lamp era, and while at first
these lamps were so high in price that they could only be afforded by
the wealthier classes, later they were produced at a more reasonable
figure, when they came into general use.
The last half of the eighteenth century marked the adoption of
magnificent chandeliers, many of which are still preserved. One such is
found in the Warner house at Portsmouth, in the parlor at the right of
the wide old hall, a room wherein have assembled many notable
gatherings, for the Hon. Jonathan Warner was a generous host. This
specimen is among the finest in the country, and is in keeping with the
other fine old-time fittings.
About the beginning of the nineteenth century, candelabra and lamps with
glass prisms were much used, some of them very simple in design, being
little more than a plain stick with a few prisms attached, while others
were very elaborate. Many of these candlesticks and candelabra are still
preserved, together with the other old-time lights. In a Jamaica Plain
home are some very valuable specimens of lighting fixtures that once
stood on the mantel in the Sprague House on Essex Street, Salem, having
been brought to this country by the first owner at the time the dwelling
was being furnished for his bride.
With Fashion's decree that lamps and candelabra should be hung with
cut-glass prisms, they attained great popularity, and sets of three came
to be regular ornaments of the carved mantelpieces. These sets consisted
of a three-pronged candelabrum for the middle, and a single stick on
either side. The stand was of marble, while the standards were of gilt.
At the base of each candle a brass ornament, like an inverted crown,
supported the sparkling prisms, which jingled and caught rainbow
reflections at every slight quiver. In the lamps, frequently the side
portions were of bronze, the lamp for holding the oil being surrounded
by prisms which depended from the central standard. The flaring chimneys
of ground glass softened and shaded the light, while they also kept it
from flickering in case of sudden draughts.
Up to the year 1837, flint and steel were the only mode of ignition, and
their long association with old-time lights makes them an intimate part
of them. At first both flint and steel were very crudely made, but later
on, some of the steels were very ornamental. With them was used a tinder
box, with its store of charred linen to catch the tiny flame as it
leaped toward the steel, and this, too, must be considered in the review
of old-time lights.
Examples of these and the old forms of lighting are found in every part
of New England and throughout the South, though perhaps the largest
collection in any single section is found in Salem, the home of
excellent examples of all things colonial. As one views them, he cannot
but be impressed with their quaintness, and while no doubt he is
thankful for the strides in science that have made possible the
brilliant illumination of the present, yet in his heart he must
acknowledge that the present lights, though in many instances undeniably
beautiful, lack the charm of the old-time types.