Fairy lamp

Fairy lamps were a small, glass candle lamp that gained popularity during the 1880s and '90's. Their original purpose was utilitiarian, so they were frequently sold in boxed sets, a dozen at a time. The typical pieces included the base, a cup for the candle, and the chimney or shade. Over the years, their designs became more complex and ornate, though overall, most remained small, standing four to six inches tall.

The creation of fairy lamps began in 1840, when a new type of candle was developed. These candles were smaller, fatter, and encased with paper; they were usually set in a saucer of water to burn. They burned longer and carried less risk of fire, a common danger of the Victorian era. Samuel Clarke, one of several English designers of lighting devices, patented a glass cup covered with a dome on December 14, 1885. Clarke's original lamps feature a fairy embossed into the bottom, and they became so popular that all small candle-based lamps became known as "fairy lamps." They became extremely popular, due to the sudden affordability of mass-produced glass and candles, and were frequently used to illuminate nurseries, sickrooms, and hallways. Samuel Clarke even designed a fairy lamp in the shape of a crown in honor of Queen Victoria's Jubilee. The Queen reportedly purchased 1,500 of these lamps "for her own use". The popularity of fairy lamps spread to America, and glassworks on the eastern seaboard and Midwest began manufacturing fairy lamps as well. The World's Fair in Chicago featured an island lit by fairy lamps, 3,000 of which were donated by Samuel Clarke. This exhibit later toured various American cities. With the availability of electricity, usage of fairy lamps waned in the 1920s and by the 1940s, production had ceased.

The Fenton Art Glass Company resumed production of the fairy lamp for decorative purposes in the 1950s, and they regained much popularity as art objects.