Revolutionary War / Colonial era Tin Candle Mold - Reduced price

This is a tin Colonial era 3-barrel candle mold for making tapered candles. The size is 4” x 3 ½” x 10 ½” high. It has a soldered side handle as well as the other seams. There is an example of this mold in “Early American Antique Country Furnishings”, by George Neumann, he has this style as circa 1750 - 1850 (see pictures).

Many developments occurred during the 19th Century which had a great impact on candle making. Every town had its own chandler (candle maker) and this Guild trade was tightly regulated and highly taxed. The industry took another leap forward in 1834 when Joseph Morgan industrialized candle making by inventing a machine that could mold around 1500 candles per hour. This made candles, once an expensive luxury, affordable to the masses and put these molds on the road to being obsolete.

The introduction of paraffin wax in the mid-19th Century provided the cheapest candle wax available at that time. A refined bi-product from the petroleum industry, paraffin wax was odorless, cleaner, more consistent and longer-burning than tallow. Before gas and electricity, candles were a necessity of life after daylight hours to illuminate a passage or for reading - a must for all Revolutionary War and Civil War soldiers.

With the inventions of the Kerosene Lantern and the electric light bulb during the last half of the 19th Century, candles ceased to be used as a source of light and the industry went into decline. It is an excellent display piece and would fit in with any 18^th or 19th century collection.