Candlestick, Miner's

Object Name:

Candlestick, Miner's

Object ID:

1959.075.01

Date:

circa 1800

Description:

Miner's jamb light, iron, from the Willey House, Crawford Notch, NH. Multi-use candle holder. Long, square pointed shaft made of iron. Vertical, tapered shaft with hooked end on it that is ~4" high. Pointed loop on one end of horizontal shaft. Loop is doubled back onto shaft and extends toward pointed end. Near vertical shaft it is bent sideways at right angle and a cylinder of steel extends upward 1.6". Cylinder is ~1" diameter and is not complete but it has a vertical slot at its end and a 1/4" tab extends horizontally off end of cylinder wall. Tab allows it to be pushed on to open cylinder so candle can be inserted. Vertical loop is a hanger and can be used to carry the device or place it. Pointed end allows horizontal shaft to be inserted into an opening. Shaft with candle holder on it is welded to main shaft. Top and bottom surfaces smoothed.

Material:

Metal
Iron

Dimensions:

H-3.9 W-2.6 L-12.9 inches

Provenance:

History of being from the Willey House, and sold at the Willey House auction. The will of Harry Elmore Hurd reads, "The iron candlestick on the shelf over the fireplace, which was on the table when it was discovered that all persons present in the Willey House Cabin at the time of the slide had been buried by the landslide, shall go to the New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord, New Hampshire. It was given to me by Grampa Thompson, of North Conway, New Hampshire, when I was writing 'Mountains and Molehills,' and was given to him by the brother of Willey who was killed."

Credit Line:

Bequest of Harry Elmore Hurd

People:

Hurd, Harry E. (1889-1958), Willey, Samuel, Jr. (1788-1826)

Subjects:

Mining, Mining equipment, Candlesticks