from the Glass Encyclopedia
from the Glass Encyclopedia
 above: 19th century glass fairy light
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Glass Fairy Lights: A short explanation Glass Fairy Lights or Fairy Lamps were designed to burn small slow-burning candles through the night. They were first introduced in the early nineteenth century, and had a glass base plate or dish with an inverted cup with a hole in the top which went over the candle. The candles were special ones, some of which could burn for eleven hours. The name "Fairy Light" is said to come from a trade mark used by Samuel Clarke, showing a fairy with a light on the end of a wand. Clarke was one of the most prolific producers of coloured and fancy night lights. He was a candle-maker who patented this design for a glass night light in the UK, the USA, and Europe. Various glass houses made the lamps under licence from Clarke. There were other designers of Fairy Lamps, but none so well known. Fairy Lights continued in use until the early 20th century, but they died away as electricity and gas became widely used for lighting. Both the candles and the glass Fairy Lights were usually marked with one of Clarke's trademarks. The most common trademarks to find are "Clarke's Fairy Light", "Clarke's Cricklite", "Samuel Clarke", "Pyramid" or even just "Clarke". There were some beautiful and elaborate variants which incorporated several Fairy Lights into a candelabra for the centre of a table. Fairy Lights were made using almost every conceivable type of glass, from clear flint pressed glass to the most beautiful and rare colors and finishes. Companies that make glass for collectors, such as Fenton Art Glass, have continued to make beautiful fairy lamps. There are some very attractive designs available today as new glass. They make very attractive lighting for Christmas; they also work well on outdoor tables because the flame is protected from the wind. If you are looking for glass Fairy Lights, you can usually find items on offer on ebay - click here to see the glass Fairy Light listings currently for sale on ebay. |
