Candlestick Identification | |||
Candleholders of one type or another have been in use for as long as candles have been made (they date back to about 3000 BC). They were necessary, along with oil lamps, to provide light in households until the advent of electrical lighting during the late nineteenth century. It's thought that candlesticks themselves originated prior to the middle ages. The earliest examples were probably blocks of wood with a spike that the candle could be impaled upon. Later on, when brass candlesticks were devised, the socket seen on today's candlesticks was introduced. When domestic glassware was devised, candleholders were an obvious product line. Most manufacturers of Carnival produced similar patterns. Here are the most often-seen examples.
Florentine Style One of the most common shapes of candlesticks. The difference between the Fenton and Northwood is flange between the base and stem. Northwood's is larger (circled) | |||
![]() ![]() Fenton Florentine | ![]() ![]() Northwood Six Nine Five | ![]() ![]() Cut ovals |
Trumpet Style
Obviously named for the trumpet horn shape upon which the sticks rest. |
|||
![]() ![]() Central | ![]() ![]() Northwood | ![]() ![]() Vineland | ![]() ![]() Diamond |
Spindle Style
Spindles are typically round shafts with bulbous protruding shapes, thus the name here. |
|||
![]() ![]() Imperial Premium | ![]() ![]() Northwood | ![]() ![]() Diamond | ![]() ![]() 549, 649, 749 |
Carnival Glass patterns
These are from the classic Carnival lines. |
||
![]() ![]() Grape and Cable | ![]() ![]() Inverted Strawberry | ![]() ![]() Moonprint |
Twisted stems
Some of these must have been very tricky to get out of the mold. |
|||
![]() ![]() Double Helix | ![]() ![]() Lancaster 950 | ![]() ![]() Lillian | ![]() ![]() Spiral 5198 |
![]() ![]() Three Fifteen (315) | ![]() ![]() Trumpet Twist | ![]() ![]() Twist Bobeche |
Unusual Stems
Glass makers never seemed to tire of making unusual designs. |
||||
![]() ![]() Twelve Rings | ![]() ![]() Five Bubbles | ![]() ![]() Paperchain/Origami | ![]() ![]() Mt Vernon | ![]() ![]() Sawtooth |
Simple shapes
Housewives no doubt liked these because they were simple. |
|||
![]() ![]() One Five One | ![]() ![]() Portly (249) | ![]() ![]() Chesterfield | ![]() ![]() Imperial 700 |
![]() ![]() Royal Lustre | ![]() ![]() Mae West | ![]() ![]() Scepter | ![]() ![]() Six Five One |
Figural shapes
A few candleholders include people and animals. |
|||
![]() ![]() Boy and Lamp Post | ![]() ![]() Crucifix | ![]() ![]() Christ | ![]() ![]() Firefly (on base) |
![]() ![]() Goat, horse |
Enameled
Some candleholders were decorated in different ways. |
|||
![]() ![]() Black Banded | ![]() ![]() Blue Banded | ![]() ![]() Enameled Flower | ![]() ![]() Halloween |
Miscellaneous designs
A testament to the imagination of glass designers. |
|||
![]() ![]() American | ![]() ![]() Column | ![]() ![]() Chamber Candlestick | ![]() ![]() Delta Base |
![]() ![]() Crackle | ![]() ![]() Double Scoll | ![]() ![]() Six Sided | ![]() ![]() Six Lustre |
![]() ![]() Flute and Cane | ![]() ![]() Thebes | ![]() ![]() Two Thirty Two | ![]() ![]() Candleholder Vase |
Candelabra
For holding multiple candles. |
![]() ![]() Miniature Candelabra |