Secondly, although candles continued to be used as small, convenient portable light sources until the introduction of electricity in the first few decades of the 20th century, wick-trimmers became far less necessary after the invention of the self-trimming wick in 1825. Firstly candles became less ubiquitous from the late 18th century, as reliable domestic oil lamps arrived, then paraffin and (in urban areas) gas lighting by the middle of the 19th century. The decline of the copper-alloy wick-trimmer is due to several factors. The decoration can include rocker-arm, which might suggest that they began to be used even earlier, perhaps in the 16th century. Hume (1969, 98) describes what sounds like a very similar type of wick-trimmer from colonial America, and suggests that they were in use by at least 1600. The precise date of the pit within the post-medieval period does not appear to have been published yet. Two of the type of copper-alloy wick-trimmer usually recorded on the PAS database have been found in archaeological contexts, both from a post-medieval pit within Tenement 180 in Southampton’s French Quarter ( SOU1382, nos. The fragility of this soldered construction probably accounts for the few relatively complete examples. The pin forming the hinge also survives, but the loop handles are missing. Four elements are present: the base and bent-up sides, one of which has a notch to accommodate the blade to which the cover is attached the soldered-on side plate the blade soldered on to the box and the blade and flat cover, which are made in one piece. One of the more complete candle-snuffers on the database ( HAMP-917D56) Occasionally a more complete example can be found, showing the detail of construction. Side plate from a wick-trimmer, with a solder scar showing the outline of the box ( LIN-F6A115) The commonest part of a wick-trimmer to be found is a side-plate from the box. Wick-trimmers Terms to use in the description Put ‘wick trimmer’ in the classification field, or ‘extinguisher’, as appropriate. PAS object classifications and sub-classifications to be used It comes from the Middle English noun snoffe, ‘burned part of a candle wick’. If you are interested in the etymology, an earlier use of the verb ‘to snuff’ was ‘to cut or pinch off the burned part of a candle wick’. The mda’s scope note states that a candle snuffer is ‘an object used to stop a candle burning’, but wick-trimmers were certainly known as candle-snuffers before the mid 19th century. The only object type possible is CANDLE SNUFFER, as ‘wick trimmer’ does not exist in the mda thesaurus. It curls over into the hottest part of the flame and burns away.Ĭandle-extinguishers are also known, domed or conical in shape, but are rarely recorded, perhaps because they appear to be late post-medieval or modern in date. The self-trimming plaited wick was invented in 1825 by Joseph Cambacères. If a candle’s wick gets too long, the charred end impedes burning, making the flame dim and smoky. The scissors are to trim a candle’s wick, and the box is for collecting the remains (the ‘snuff’). When complete, wick-trimmers are shaped like a pair of scissors with the base and sides of a box attached to one blade, and a flat cover for the box attached to the other. 2.1 PAS object classifications and sub-classifications to be used.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |