History of Candles

Candles have been around for many, many centuries.  In most of the world they were the main sources of lighting until the early twentieth century.  The earliest candles were made of whale fat by the Chinese during the Quin Dynasty (227-206 BC).  After that early Chinese and Japanese candles were made of insect wax and seeds.  In India temple candles were made of wax from boiling cinnamon.  In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa where olive oil was prominent and readily available to use as lamp oil; candle use was not common until the early middle ages.  On the other side of the world in what is the present day Oregon to Alaska area a fished called eulachon or "candle fish" was used for lighting.  A candle was simply made putting a dried fish on a forked stick and lighting it.

Later during the early middle ages in Europe candles were made of tallow (animal fat).  By melting the fat down and pouring it in bronze molds pith rushes were used for wicks.  Candles still had not caught on in the Middle East and Africa. 

By the 13th century in Europe, especially England and France candle making had become a guided craft.  Candle Maker's (chandlers) went from house to house making candles from fats saved from the kitchen.  During the middle ages the popularity of candles steadily rose.  Tallow from cows and sheep became standard in there manufacturing.  However due to the glycerin in animal fat tallow candles had an extremely foul odor.  The manufacturing of tallow candles caused such an unpleasant stench that it was actually banned in several cities.  For churches and royal events bees wax candles where used because they had a less offensive odor.

During this time two main candle companies came into existence; Tallow Chandlers of London originally formed around 1300 and received it's coat of arms and 1456 and Wax Chandlers Company originally formed around 1330 and receiving its charter in 1484.

Growth of the whaling industry during the 18th century brought on spermaceti candles.  Spermaceti is wax made by crystallizing oil of the sperm whale.  This was the first major change in candle making since the middle ages.  Spermaceti candles had several advantages of tallow candles.  The chief advantages being that they did not smell bad like tallow candles, they were harder than tallow or bees wax so they would not bend or melt  in summer heat, and possibly most important they burned brighter and longer.

The second ever United States patent was granted to Joseph Sampson for a new candle making process in 1790.  And in 1834 Joseph Morgan industrialized the candle making process, allowing production of up to 1500 candles per hour.  By 1850 a chemist, James Young, patented a process to produce paraffin from coal for commercial use.  Unlike its predecessors paraffin burned clean and without an unpleasant or offensive odor.  By adding steric acid to paraffin it allowed candles to be harder and last longer.  By the end of the 19th century paraffin and stearic acid candles were being produced commercially in mass quantity.

Despite the many advances in the candle industry it began to decline largely because of the distillation of kerosene used in lamps for lighting and heat, and in 1879 with the invent of the light bulb.  However as the use of candles for lighting declined the popularity of candles for decorative items began to increase.  By the 1990's the demand for new candle products led to U.S. agricultural chemist to develop soy bean wax which is softer and slower burning than paraffin wax.  At the same time on the other side of the world palm wax was rising in popularity.

Candles have come a long way from the days of chandlers going house to house, kitchen to kitchen making candles of leftover fat, to 2010 when the candle industry did and estimated $7.3 billion in sales.