Researching candle lamps:

[xamier]

Greetings:
Mr. Morgan combined easily obtainable items that one would have had access to as a civilian in our time period and made a candle lamp/lantern.

He used the globe from our oil lamp, we haven’t been able to get oil in some time, and put it over a candle. To keep from breaking the globe, he made a wooden base for it to set in and included wooden runners to attach a bale and to keep the globe from being knocked over.

Now, it seems to me that this little lantern made from period materials that were readily available and bearing some resemblance to metal candle lanterns that I have seen is something that others may well have put together. I am looking for documentation of similar items and I would appreciate any help or ideas that anyone might offer.

[GrumpyDave]

http://home.planet.nl/~veld3996/incandes.html

Soldiers used candles because they were easy to transport. Civilians of the time didn't move like the armies, nor did they travel with them after Antetiam. But, that's another whole can of worms. A typical middle class civilian of the time period would have used parafin, coal oil or whale oil lighting. I did a whole bunch of research on whale oil before our winter camp event last year. The information is out there.

[Memphis]

Who was Mr. Morgan during the Civil War, and did someone actually find documentation for those wooden and glass camp lanterns?

[EmmanuelDabney]

I think that this may be a case of what does the history say versus what are we looking for it to say?

Home lightning by 1860 was a standard and rapidly developing part of life in America. Depending on where you live you could have access to candles, kerosene (newest, hottest item), whale oil, camphine (oil of turpentine), and gas lights (in cities and towns or if wealthy enough your own home gas works).

I would say that regardless of your financial situation, candles would be common. Expect gas lighting and kerosene in households with extra cash. Expect to go to bed fairly early in rural areas, particularly when not blessed with extra cash (candles do cost money). And those with less money also have to get up earlier and start work.

A decent stearin candle can be gotten from Virginia Mescher: http://raggedsoldier.com/candles.html

[CandaceRose]

Who was Mr. Morgan during the Civil War, and did someone actually find documentation for those wooden and glass camp lanterns?

Mr. Morgan is Betty's husband and likely was not around during the Civil War. They are trying to find documentation for a candle lantern he would like to produce.

[vmescher]

Greetings:
Mr. Morgan combined easily obtainable items that one would have had access to as a civilian in our time period and made a candle lamp/lantern.

I did a quick patent search so my information may not be complete. The first patent for a lantern that used a candle was for a steamboat lantern. It was patented on Dec. 28, 1838 and was made of sheet tin. The number was 1,044 and the class/subclass was 362/161 (those lanterns using candles). The next patent in this class/subclass was not issued until 1866. I did not find anything similar to the image posted.

There were other subclasses of lanterns but most of those used some type of burning fluid, rather than candles.

I ran out of time so I could not do a more thorough search.

[GrumpyDave]

The "wooden" candle lantern has been researched ad-nauseum with pretty much the same result.

Em,
If you have any research you'd like to share on whale oil anything, I'd be very interested.

Dave Towsen
VP Potomac Legion
Columbia Rifles

[Jim Mayo]

Interesting little lamp with a 1863 patent date.

[xamier]

The "wooden" candle lantern has been researched ad-nauseum with pretty much the same result.

Dave Towsen
VP Potomac Legion
Columbia Rifles

Mr. Towsen:
We are not looking for documentation of a wooden candle lantern such as one sees at most suttlers.

The lantern in question uses a glass globe. It came about because the wind kept blowing out our candles and I have a bad habit of dragging my arm/sleeve across the candle flame. We started by setting a globe from an oil lamp over a candle. This evolved into a wooden base to hold the globe and then a way to carry the entire affair.

It occurred to Mr. Morgan and myself that this might be something that was used during our time period and we are endeavoring to find out. However, I have had very little luck finding images or descriptions of candle lanterns or holders beyond vague comments about the lamps smelling bad or the use of horn in a candle lantern when glass was unavailable.

It seems to me that once one ran out of oil and started using candles; one might take a globe off of an oil lamp to place over a candle to keep sleeves, curious children............ out of the candle. It is not very far from doing this to knocking something together out of wood to make the candle lamp more convenient to use. (I am sorry that the picture doesn't convey the actual item. It is a base with dowels to hold the globe, another base to hold the top of the globe and then the dowels extend up to make a handle)

I am trying to find out if this was ever done or used. This form of research may seem backwards to some, but we have had a lot of luck with figuring out how to do something using available period materials and then finding the item actually existed. (We never actually take items into the field until we have documented them) It is a lot of fun, attempting to put oneself into the frame of mind of long ago and then trying to think about how one would solve a particular problem.
Respectfully,
Betty Morgan

[xamier]

I did a quick patent search so my information may not be complete. The first patent for a lantern that used a candle was for a steamboat lantern. It was patented on Dec. 28, 1838 and was made of sheet tin. The number was 1,044 and the class/subclass was 362/161 (those lanterns using candles). The next patent in this class/subclass was not issued until 1866. I did not find anything similar to the image posted.

There were other subclasses of lanterns but most of those used some type of burning fluid, rather than candles.

I ran out of time so I could not do a more thorough search.

Ms Mescher:
Thank you for doing the patent search. Can you tell me about what fluids were burned other then whale oil, lamp oil and kerosene in lanterns?

I am thinking about animal fat or fish oil as something that might have been used when/if whale and lamp oil became uncommon. I am wondering how one might put such a lantern together from materials that one might have on hand with period techniques. I am also wondering if the description of lamps stinking were because they were using an alternate fuel source.

Thank you for your assistance.
Respectfully,
Betty Morgan