A Collector's Club Offering More Than Just Chatting
February 4, 2007 - By John ScherzHow many times have any of us seen solicitations online for Collector's societies or clubs, and how many times have we been disappointed with the lack of information or services? Well here is an online club that is the an thesis of those less than satisfactory groups. The Fairy Lamp Club offers virtually every service that you can imagine, and then some! The Fairy Lamp Club's home page found at www.fairylampclub.com, features a prominent member's showcase, followed by a unique bank of approximately two dozen separate platforms of highly detailed Research papers, photo journals, items both wanted and for sale, and useful information relating to the purchasing, selling, matching, and identification of one of the most diversified art forms in the world. There are literally 100s of pages of vital information relating to this craft, and this site must be considered as the definitive Encyclopedia of the Victorian night light. This marvelous site is the result of the loving dedication to the art-form supplied by Rob & Pat Ruf, who authored the great reference "Fairy Lamps: Elegance in Candle Lighting" (Schiffer 1996). Their collaboration in 1997 with Mr. James Sapp (303) 816-0944, and Email JimSapp7@msn.com has matured into one of the finest online services we have yet seen, with nearly 150 active members dedicated to the preservation of this small treasure.
Fairy lamps were originally a product of the Victorian Era - 1840's to 1905. Earliest examples of the "Fairy Lamp" were cast from wax, and therefore highly susceptible to damage. It is generally agreed that the Clarke family of London, England introduced the "improved" candle light to the world. In 1844, a George Miller Clarke applied to the British Patent Office in London for a patent on a certain "improvement in night lights." The specification was numbered 10,029. In 1857, Samuel Clarke, another member of the family, received Patent No. 961 under the same classification. The subsequent addition of colorful glass and porcelain shades and cups expanded the Clarke family sales. They also introduced brass, nickel and silver plated standards to hold the lamps. The fairy lamps registered by Clarke were sold under the names of "Pyramid", "Fairy", "Fairy Pyramid", "Wee Fairy", Burglar's Horror" and "Cricklite." All of these names were registered in the United States, as well as in Great Britain.
Samuel Clarke purchased his glass supplies from only the finest and most respected businesses such as Worcester Royal Porcelain Company, Ltd., George Davidson & Company, Ltd., Stuart and Sons, Ltd., and last but not least Thomas Webb & Sons, Ltd. who supplied shades and cups made of Queen's Burmese. The Webb production was subsequent to the Burmese patent date of 12/15/1885, granted to Frederick Shirley of the Mt. Washington Glass Co.- New Bedford, Mass. It is commonly accepted that Clarke had an agent and business in America that sold fairy lamps. Clarke had his own original trademark which incorporated a small fairy with a wand in the center of each base encircled by the words "Clarke Fairy Pyramid, Trade Mark." It is unknown why Samuel Clarke selected this trademark. The Phoenix Glass Works, of Pittsburgh, was granted the sole rights to manufacture under the Clarke patents for distribution in the United States. The company continued to be listed as a supplier of fairy lamps in New Jersey between 1887and 1888. The firm of Hobbs, Brockunier & Company of Wheeling, West Virginia, established in 1861 manufactured fairy lamps labeled "Acorn Lamps." This factory was acquired by the United States Glass Company around 1891. Mt. Washington lamps produced in Burmese (Uranium Oxide rich) glass are believed to be post 1888.
The following is the current list of products and services offered on the website:
1) Manufacturers of Samuel Clarke's Fairy Lamps
"The companies who made him famous"
2) The Fairy Lamps of Samuel Clarke - 1887-1891
Documented designs licensed by Samuel Clarke Samuel Clarke's United States Patents
Samuel Clarke's US Patents for fairy lamps & lights 1884-1908
3) Undocumented Fairy Lamp
Photo Gallery Fairy Lamp Catalogs and Advertisements 1887-1891
4) Registered Design Numbers Associated with Fairy Lamps The Fairy Lamps of Samuel Clarke
5) Wholesale Price List - September 1888
6) Lonely Fairy Lamp Parts Photo Gallery The place to find a mate Unidentified Contemporary Fairy Lamp Photo Gallery
7) Fenton Fairy Lights: 1953-2002 Research by Raymond & Barbara Carver 8) Fairy Lamp Value Guide Fairy Lamps for Sale
9) Fairy Lamp Related Books for Sale Fairy Lamp Articles
10) Fairy Lamp Reference Materials Christmas Lights and other related candle lamps
11) Related Links Newsletter Index
12) Club Membership Application Contact Me
13) eBay Auction Consignment Services Price's Candle Company History 14) Fairy Lamp Club Meeting 2005 Photo Gallery
15) Samuel Clarke's US Patents for fairy lamps & lights 1884-1908
16) Fairy Lamp Catalogs and Advertisements 1887-1891
17) The Fairy Lamps of Samuel Clarke Wholesale Price List - September 1888
18) Unidentified Contemporary Fairy Lamp Photo Gallery
19) Burmese Decorations of Thomas Webb A Research Project in Progress
20) Fairy Lamps for Sale
21) Fairy Lamp Articles
22) Christmas Lights and other related candle lamps
23) Newsletter Index
24) Contact Me
25) Price's Candle Company History New
As previously mentioned, the Fairy lamp is perhaps the most diversified of all generic lamp shapes. It has been produced in original wax, porcelain, pottery, glass, with multi seat lamps utilizing composite and metal frameworks. Here are some photos representative of the kinds of lamps you will see on this site. As a last but important note: **** ALL OF THE FAIRY LAMP CLUB NEWSLETTERS AND UNIDENTIFIED LAMP FLYERS FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS ARE AVAILABLE ON CD-ROM OR IN A THREE VOLUME SET OF 3-RING BINDERS. THEY CAN BE SEEN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FAIRY LAMPS FOR SALE PLATFORM. PLEASE CONTACT MR. SAPP FOR AVAILABILITY. We highly reccommend a trip to the Fairy Lamp Club website - we bet it won't be your last!
A special thanks goes out to Raymond and Barbara Carver for their outstanding paper on the history of Fairy lamps & Fenton Glass Fairy Lamps 1953 - 2002.
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