Victorian Christmas lights

Back in the day, Christmas trees were lit with glass candle holders officially called Victorian illumination lights.  Most of these were from England and made during the early 1880's.  Because of the fire hazard, they were only lit for Christmas Eve.

The lights were made in beautiful colors -- some out of milk glass and others clear.  My father collected these and I am now the happy owner of 11 of these lights.  Daddy used tree lights on a string and placed a few inside each glass which made the colors show up and cast shadows all over the room.  Mine hang year round and are displayed where the sunlight can reflect the colors.  I love the history of these "fairy lights", their age and the fact that my dad enjoyed them so much.  He put the wires on these and I have left them there as part of their history for my daughter who will own them one day.  As with some of the other glass items that I posted previously, these are not as primitive as many of my things but I really appreciate their beauty and artistry.

Fast forward 120 years and some genius has invented the small battery operated votive lights -- I place one inside each of these antique "fairy lights" and they glow for over 24 hours and are completely safe!

I look for these at every antique show, shop or flea market that I go to but rarely find them.  They were fragile and easily broken and perhaps were damaged trying to store them from year to year.  I can't imagine the number of homes that must have had fires from these candles hanging on the branches of dry trees.  Scary!

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Victorian glass

I mentioned earlier that I am the product of collectors -- my parents and grandparents collected a large variety of things from heavy hand carved Victorian furniture to fine china, some primitive furniture to B&O railroad dishes, baskets to crocks and on and on and on . . . they were also "savers" probably from necessity more than the idea of saving a treasure from a distant relative.  I am so fortunate to now be the "keeper" of these precious items and will one day pass them on to my own children and grandchildren.

Growing up, I spent every summer living with my maternal grandparents in SW Virginia.  Grandaddy had made brackets for glass shelves that ran the entire distance of their sun porch where they displayed the beautiful Victorian glassware that they collected.  They didn't have a lot of money so I know that some of these things came from a local 2nd hand store or maybe gifts from family members or friends.  This aqua blue glass epergne was my dad's favorite piece and when my grandparents home was sold after their deaths, daddy selected this to keep and pass on to me someday.  It is now in my home and I love it even though it is very different from the primitive items that my husband and I collected for so many years.  This epergne is from circa 1880 and was used as a centerpiece to hold fruit, flowers or sweets.

My other grandmother had a very thoughtful father who gave each of his daughters a special gift when they turned 16 years old.  He picked it out himself and it was just from him to his girls.  This bowl was my grandmothers presented to her in 1900 and was made by the New Martinsville Glass Company which opened that year.  The colors are beautiful and change in depth with the light.  I know that she treasured this for so many years and now I am able to do the same thing.  I have seen only one other one like this and it was in pink and yellow and featured at the West Virginia Glass Museum.

Another piece from the home of my Virginia grandparents -- a blue milk glass decanter with stopper than also dates from the 1880's.  The color is wonderful and it is in excellent condition for it's age (which I could say the same!).  I have all three of these beautiful pieces of glassware in my bedroom and I find comfort knowing that these were part of my childhood as well as that of my parents.  Thanks for letting me share these with you.

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