Colonial Candle Making: Candles of the Past and Present
While the equipment and waxes used in candle making as we know it today is much different than in colonial times, colonists set the stage for the craft of candle making, past and present. The next few paragraphs will cover the fascinating history of colonial candle making and bring you up to present candle making speed by discussing the process and equipment used over the years.
What was used to make the first colonial candles? Good question. The candles of colonial times began with the bayberry. You have most likely heard of bayberry scented candles, but the process is much easier today than in colonial times. The wax was very difficult to extract from the bayberry, so this kind of candle making soon disappeared during that era.
The whaling industry started a whole new candle making industry during colonial times. The first standard candles were made from the wax created from crystallizing sperm whale oil. Since these candles did not create a pungent odor, a new way to make candles was born. Spermaceti wax was used for colonial candle making until 19th century discoveries brought an even better wax for candle making to the new world.
During the 1820’s, European scientists discovered how to get the stearic acid from animal fatty acids which lead to stearin wax. This wax was harder and burned longer and cleaner than the spermaceti wax. The 1930’s made way for machinery that was able to mass produce cylindrical candles. Then, in the 1950’s, paraffin wax was developed and processed from petroleum and mixed with stearic acid to make an even better and long lasting candle wax.
Candle making had come a long way, but the invention of the light bulb forced candle production and the craft of candle making to decrease. Candles were used for light in the past and not for recreational/decorative purposes as they are today. This decline in candle making only lasted until the 20th century when this craft made a comeback due to the meatpacking industry. The byproducts of meatpacking included stearic acid and paraffin.
During the 1960’s the popularity of candles went on the rise along with relaxation and meditation. The popularity of candle making and the candle industry continued to grow throughout the 80’s and even more so today. Candle making has come a long way since the candles of yore and come in various, shapes, sizes, colors and a huge variety of scents. The uses, equipment and processes of today’s candle making is a far cry from colonial candle making, but the colonists certainly paved the way for us.
