Candles
1800
Whale Oil
1820-1850
Camphine
1840-1860
Kerosene
1850-1920
Light Bulb
Since 1880s
                              A Primer On Early Lighting 
                                                                                                              by Bill Henderson
     As the 19th Century began candles were the most common source of indoor lighting.  In between the candle and the bulb were three types of lamps distinguished by their fuel source and burners.
     During the 1820s to the 1850s, the early lamps used whale oil.  This led to a boom in the whaling industry & high quality whale oil was supplied. 
     Another household fuel was camphine, called 'burning fluid'.  A mixture of turpentine & alcohol, it was quite volatile, but it burned brighter than whale oil without the smell.
     Shades were not used on most whale oil and camphine burners.  Their open flame was just basically a brighter form of candle light.
     By 1859 crude oil was discovered in Pennsylvania.  The kerosene from there remained the standard lighting fuel into the 20th century.  Kerosene was contained in the 'font' of the lamp.  It was not cheap but it was superior to candles.  The kerosene lamp was the only one of the three that used a wick, resulting in more control of the brightness of the flame and it was much safer than camphine.  By the Civil War most households had a lamp or two. 
     All three of these type lamps can be found today. There are many sources of the burner apparatus for kerosene lamps which function just as the originals.  The diameter of the oil lamp collars (where the burner screws in) are designated as #1, #2 & #3.  This dictates the chimney base diameter.
      Table lamps of the flint glass era were called 'stand lamps' & they sometimes matched pressed tableware in design.  Later pressed lamps were made in 'hand' aka 'finger' and 'stand' forms.
      As the Century ended, the electric light bulb was the preferred lighting source, but kerosene lamps were still the most widely available.
      Lamps heights are generally measured from the table top to the top of the collar without the burner in place.

Damage, if any, is mentioned in the listing. 
The prices do not include the cost of shipping & insurance. 
Learn how easy it is to purchase from PatternGlass.com by clicking HERE.
                  To see more flint glass lamps, please go HERE.

Since Victorians first used candles to overcome the darkness, let's start there too! In the beginning, pre-1850, there was light from lacy glass & blown candle holders.
Around the 1840s or '50s, along came flint glass and
a little bit later, some factories made non-flint EAPG candleholders.

In fact, let's start "Across the Pond" in Bohemia. This is a very early blown translucent, what we might call "clambroth", candle holder from somewhere other than America. The serpent wound around it has lost most of its color, except for it's 2 "eyes" and a couple of other dabs.
It is 6" tall, hollow all the way through with no closure on the top or the base.
We would have to guess at the date of making, but it would surely be pre-1850.
See a view from below HERE. $73
Moving back to the Homeland, you'd never know it from the present availability, but a number of candlesticks were made during the Lacy Glass Period ca. 1830 - 1835. They weren't given pattern names, that we know of, but they were shown in early Ruth Webb Lee books... like this one shown in her book on Sandwich Glass HERE.
It is 7" tall & is in amazingly
good condition nearly
2 centuries later! $125

Later - only 165, or so, years ago - candlesticks were made by a number of factories in heavy flint.
On the Left is a beauty made by McKee during the 1850s. It is 10" tall & made in 3 pieces. $115

On the right is an example of the fashionable LOOP pattern made by many factories ca. 1850-60s.
It is 7 1/8" tall and has a lopsided wafer connection seen HERE.
$55

Moving on through the years, we find a pair of 4 1/4" tall milk glass "Boudoir" candle holders also seen HERE. $48

And a pair of PORTLAND pattern 8 1/2" tall 'sticks' by U S Glass Co. ca. 1910. See the stylized floral engravings on the stems and 'feet' HERE and the Portland design element HERE. $120 for the pair.


CARYATID CANDLE HOLDERS
This magnificent pair of 10 3/4” tall caryatid candlesticks are of draped female figures each carrying what appears to be a paint pallet with 3 brushes in their left hand, see HERE.  The glass is frosted & we are told they are products of Vallerysthal in Europe from the latter 19th century. They are in undamaged condition with no chips, cracks or discoloration, no cloudiness and no discernible edge roughness so common to glass of this vintage.  See the base HERE.  The pair is $115.

This INVERTED
STRAWBERRY
candlestick is a Cambridge Glass Co. product ca. 1915. A scarce form of this pattern, it is 7" tall & has 2 chips under the base seen HERE & HERE & a few 'fleabites' on the base. $42

And now, on to the various & Lamps of the Later Victorian Times!

POST aka Square Panes is a pattern made by Adams & Co. ca. 1882.
This lamp is 10" tall to the top of the collar.  It appears to have the original burner.
The glass is very clear despite looking cloudy in the photos.
This is an interesting lamp because it was made with a hollow stem and came with 
artificial flowers & a fitting that held the flowers up into the stem.  Those are long gone
but the next owner can choose the floral color & arrangement for the next period of time.  We chose to put yellow flowers in it for the photos but they are just being held in there
with scotch tape so you can get creative - holly for Christmas, etc. $175
PS: We have a cake stand in this pattern with the same
potentially pretty standard seen in our Cake Stand Store.

THOUSAND EYE by Richards & Hartley ca. 1885.
Here is a rather scarce form of this pattern. It was made to sit in a metal holder. It is 6" in diameter & even has the points between the "eyes" like the
Sensation aka Adams' Thousand Eye pattern.
See the small raised portion on top of the glass? It has a cork in it
and that is where the lamp oil was poured into the main section.
There is a fracture in the top from in-the-making seen HERE. $65
This sapphire blue BEADED DRAPE cutie
was introduced by the Pittsburgh Lamp And Brass Company in 1901.
It is 5 1/2" tall and 5" wide. It is in excellent shape. If a wick was added, it would light up.
$88
BULLSEYE & FLEUR d' LIS
is a flint Boston Sandwich Glass Co. stand lamp ca. 1850. It is 10" tall with a metal standard and a marble base.
$185

This 9" stand lamp is called KING COMET VARIANT by Thuro. 
A product of the King Glass Co. and made ca. 1898, it has a new burner & is $125.
Add a chimney for $13.

We are uncertain of the maker
or the age of this pretty 10" tall milk glass and cobalt blue lamp.  The base appears to possibly
be by L G Wright but they did
not make a blown cobalt font. 
The collar is early brass like
in Thuro I p. 39 & it
has a double rib burner.  $85
APOLLO aka Shield Band aka Canadian Horseshoe aka Frosted Festal Ball aka Thumbprint and Prisms (whew).
This is a pair of Adams' Glass Co. patterned lamps in sapphire blue made ca. 1875. 
They are 7" tall. 
It is very rare to find a pair of colored
EAPG lamps. The pair $335.

ARTICHOKE aka Valencia  -
a scarce stand lamp in this Fostoria
Glsss Co. ca. 1890-1896. It is 9 1/2" tall and in totally undamaged condition.
The artichoke is clear & not frosted.
See also HERE.
Priced $200 below 'book value' at
$225

CURRIER & IVES aka Eulalia pattern was made
by the Cooperative Flint Glass Company.  It is 10" tall.  $110
This is the Crystal pattern called a CROWN LAMP by Collectors; made by Dalzell, Gilmore & Leighton in the 1890s. The hollow stem can be filled with flowers or ?. It is clear with alternating frosted font panels.
See also HERE & HERE. It needs a burner. $85
This shorty hand lamp is only 5 1/4" tall. It is called the GLOBE LOMAX HAND LAMP or the LOMAX KITCHEN HAND LAMP.  It is described in
Thuro I pp 178 - 179.  The patent date in the base is shown in the 3rd photo. 
It says "PAT'D SEP. 20 1870".  There is a drip catcher flange around
the top & it has a Queen Anne #1 burner.  $95
ARGUS aka Early Argus could be a product of the Boston Sandwich or the New England Glass Co. ca. 1850s.  It is 10" tall with the footed base.
See photos of the underside HERE and HERE. $175
A gorgeous heavy flint 10" tall lamp without a name.... yet.
We'd love to find a pattern name but for now we're calling it "STAR"
because of the 4 pointed star in the center of each panel around the font.
See the close-up in the center.
The lower section is consistant with other Boston Sandwich lamps.
It is open from underneath & a glass wafer connects the base to the font. $165

AQUARIS AMBER is a 9" stand lamp made by Adams Glass Co. & the
U S Glass Co. ca. 1893.  It has design elements similar to the Wildflower pattern also made by Adams. 
And it was made in all the same
colors as the Wildflower pattern. 
Thuro I describes it on pg 315 & 322 and Thuro II pg 120.  $185
DOUBLE ARCH is 8" tall, made by
King Glass Co. or O'Hara, according to
Revi.  It is described in Thuro I
page 316 & supposedly was made to look
like earlier flint lamps.... and indeed it
does feel heavy like them.
$85
 
SERRATED TEARDROP aka
Teardrop with Eyewinkers is a rather obscure pattern and even more scarce in emerald green.  In fact, the clear is shown in Thuro's book, pg 250 but green is not mentioned. This is the fancy variation of the lamp because it has the "plume font".  The second photo is an attempt to show the 'serrated teardrop'.  There is a very flat flake completely under the base not seen from the side HERE, but seen underneath HERE and although hardly noticeable, a couple of the tiny beads at the base are gone. $185
RING PUNTY is an early flint lamp from ca. 1859.  It is shown in Thuro
Book at 85-g.  It is 8 1/2" tall.  The base is flint milk glass & it has a small chip at the top of the milk glass, seen HERE.  There are also a couple of very flat flakes underneath the base hard to see, HERE.  $165

THE HERO  aka Ruby Rosette - However this lamp is obviously emerald green & not ruby.  It is a product of the Elson Glass Co. ca. 1891.  It is 10 1/2" tall.  $155
MILK GLASS was used for some really pretty lamps around the turn of the century before last. The only name we can find for this 6" tall pretty, is appropriately PANELED PANSY. It comes with a clear glass chimney. The othere 2 of the 3 floral decorative panels are shown and a better look at the Pansy panel is HERE. $85
Seldom seen SHELDON SWIRL Lamp aka Reverse Swirl pattern in a set of the 3 matching rare pieces. The cruet has the original stopper, the syrup pitcher has a good metal lid & they are all flawless. The set is $775.

TORPEDO aka Pigmy aka Fish Eye pattern was made by the Thompson
Glass Co. ca. 1889, their pattern #17. We have two of this patterned lamp
both of which have the pattern on the font, the stand and the base. 
Seen In Thuro I pg 290.
The one on the left is 7 1/2" tall
**SOLD**.
The one on the right is 9 1/2" tall & $115.
TEPEE aka NEMESIS aka ARIZONA a lamp shade,
4 1/2" tall & 4 1/4" diam. at flared edge. There is a small chip on
the ring that fits inside the
lamp holder. Geo. Duncan's
Sons & Co. made this pattern
ca. 1897. $45

MARDI GRAS aka Empire aka
Duncan #42 was made by Duncan & Sonsca. 1890s.  They measure 4 1/2" tall.  We have this one that is frosted on the outside of the lower part and another one that is frosted all over on the inside. 
They are $45 each.

These prices do not include the cost of shipping & insurance. 
To see more flint lamps, please go
HERE.
     The lamps below are not for sale.  Some have been electrified (without any damage to the original lamp) and all are in use in Albuquerque.  They are pictured here to show a little more variety
in 19th century lamps.
Our 'perfect'24" tall ILLINOIS aka Clarissa Banquet Lamp.
Three Thousand Eye aka Sensation lamps
Left - amber font & base.  Center - blue font & base.
Right - apple green font & blue base.
Cranberry font & satin fluted cranberry shade.