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A Brief History of Candle Making
Stripped back to basics, a candle is an ignitable wick, embedded in wax or another flammable solid allowing us to easily create a contained fire, which provides both heat and light and in some cases scent. Candles have been around for years with the earliest surviving candles originating in Han China around 200 BC. These early Chinese candles were made from whale fat which is quite far from what we now know as wax that comes in every shape, size and varies in ingredients!
Fat seemed to be the base ingredient for candles for many years, during the Middle Ages, tallow candles were most commonly used be it for heat or light! Tallow candles were made from a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, primarily made up of triglycerides. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike other fats and ingredients, tallow could be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it was kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation. This made the perfect base for a candle during this time!
By the 13th century, candle making had become a common craft in both England and France. Candle makers or ‘chandlers’ went from house to house making candles from the kitchen fats saved for that purpose or made and sold their own candles from small candle shops. During this time, candle makers found that beeswax burned better and without a smokey flame when compared to tallow so many decided to make the switch. Beeswax may have been a ‘cleaner alternative, however, they were expensive to make which meant that only a few people at this time were able to afford to buy and burn these types of candles.
Moving on a few years, candle making evolved again. Introducing spermaceti, a waxy substance produced by the sperm whale, was used to produce a superior candle that burned longer, brighter and gave off no offensive smell. By the late 18th century, colza oil and rapeseed oil both came into use as they were much cheaper substitutes.
The manufacture of candles became an industrialized mass market by the mid 19th century with machines that revolutionised the way candles were made on a mass scale. A pewter from Manchester had patented a candle making machine that produced moulded candles at a rate of 1500 candles per hour. This revolution meant that candles were made faster and more affordable for the masses.
Moving on to the mid-1850s a breakthrough in wax came to light again. Successes in distilling paraffin wax from coal and oil shales allowed for a commercially viable method of candle production. Paraffin wax was preferred because of its clean burn and odourless smell. By the end of the 19th century, popularity grew and most candles were now made of paraffin wax and stearic acid. We also saw the implementation of steam distillation techniques which allowed candles to be manufactured from raw materials such as skin, fat, bone and greases.
Despite great advances in candle making, the candle industry declined rapidly upon the introduction of superior methods of lighting, such as lamps and the 1879 invention of the incandescent light bulb. From this point on, candles came to be marketed as more of a decorative item that we know them as today.
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