Fairy Lamps!

  Years ago while in a flea market, my oldest son, Mark, and I were browsing for treasures.  You just never know what might be found amongst the ratty clothes, broken dishes and empty picture frames. We bought a few items that might be useful if we could figure out just what to do with them.  If nothing came to mind, we could always donate them to some charity white elephant sale. (Speaking of that, why "white elephant"?  The term refers to something unwanted or useless but I can only imagine if there was a real white elephant, it would be treasured. Hmmm...food for thought.)  Anyway, on our way out of the shop, I spied a funky glass item.  It was painted red with some awful spray paint but underneath there might just be a treasure!  I snatched up the two piece whatchamacallit and paid my quarter to the lady.  At least, she did not charge a lot for the thing.  Once home, he and I pondered over our purchases.  "Wonder what this is?" we both thought.  After a good bit of soaking in hot, bleach water, the paint started peeling off the glass pieces. Underneath that gaudy red paint was an adorable amber glass candle holder. One piece fit on top of the other making us realize that it was made to hold a candle but, at the time, we knew little about this type.

The fairy lamp that started the collection.

  A bit of research led us to the realization that this was none other than a "fairy lamp".  The original lamp was made as an utilitarian item back in the 1840s.  It had a base, cup and shade all made from glass and the bottom of each lamp was imprinted with a fairy..hence the name.   The lamps were made to hold short, stubby candles. Since the lit candles were fully encased in glass, these lamps were much safer than open flame candles.  The lamps were affordable and safe making them very popular.  They were so popular, in fact, that at the World's Fair of 1893, an entire "island" was lit with the small lamps.  (What a sight that must have been!)  This research made me highly pleased with my purchase even if this was a replica of the ones made in the 1800s.  This was also the start of something big.

My daughter-in-law, Joanna, gave me the large red fairy lamp and my daughter, Elizabeth, gave me the pink and blue ones!

  With the purchase of my first lamp and my enthusiasm over it, came the flood of gifted lamps.  It seems that it must be a difficult task to find gifts for me.  Soon the fairy lamp became the gift of choice for "Mom".  I do not mind.  In fact, I sort of wish my kids had not stopped finding these unique little lamps.  They do make me smile!  

The collection of fairy lamps lit at night!

  I keep the lamps on shelves set in front of a window.  During the day, light streams through the window panes and causes the fairy lamps to sparkle.  At night, a string of mini lights does the same job.  (I use these only because it is time consuming to light the twenty or so candles that would be required to illuminate the glass lamps.)  I do love these pretty little things and think they add a bit of charm to the Little Bayou House!  (Ok, kids...I am hinting here!  I NEED more fairy lamps!)