Fairy lamp facts for kids

Fairy lamps are small, pretty glass lamps that hold a candle. They became very popular in the 1880s and 1890s. People loved them because they gave off a soft, warm light and looked very decorative.

The Story of Fairy Lamps

How They Started

Fairy lamps were first made to be useful. They usually had three parts: a base, a cup for the candle, and a glass cover or shade. Their story began in the 1840s when a new kind of candle was invented. These candles were smaller and fatter. They were often placed in a saucer of water to burn. This made them safer and they lasted longer. This was important because fires were a big danger in the Victorian era.

Samuel Clarke's Idea

Samuel Clarke was an English designer. He came up with a special glass cup with a dome cover. He got a patent for it on December 14, 1885. His company used these lamps to help sell their own candles. Clarke's first lamps even had a tiny fairy shape pressed into the bottom.

These lamps became so popular that all small candle lamps were called "fairy lamps." They were very affordable because glass and candles could now be made in large numbers. People often used them to light up nurseries, sickrooms, and hallways.

Samuel Clarke even designed a special fairy lamp shaped like a crown. He made it to honor Queen Victoria for her Golden Jubilee. The Queen reportedly bought 1,500 of these lamps for herself.

Spreading Across the World

The popularity of fairy lamps quickly spread to America. Glass factories in the eastern and central parts of the United States started making them too. At the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, there was an island lit by fairy lamps. Samuel Clarke donated 3,000 lamps for this display! This exhibit later traveled to other American cities. Fairy lamps continued to be used until the 1920s.

Modern Day Collectibles

The Fenton Art Glass Company started making fairy lamps again in the early 1950s. Today, these beautiful lamps are still collected by many people.