Just some feedback: you might want to make the lighting section more obvious on the left hand navigation bar. I was at your site last week and couldn't find the lighting section. I didn't imagine it would be listed under "camping". Love your videos.
Perhaps horn panes would be historically accurate as they were used for eating utensils, windows, and lantern panes since Medieval times. In fact, some lanterns used bladders for window panes.
I used to apprentice under a tinsmith making those pierced tin lanterns, using patterns and several tools from the late 1700s. Calling that item a lantern is something of a misnomer, rather it makes a fine lamp to direct light towards one thing , such as writing with one at a desk, but the main use was to carry a flame one place to another before matches were invented and lighting a candle could be an ordeal. The pierced holes make the flame very difficult to blow out, and thus a flame could be lit from the fireplace in the house, carried outside to a barn, or a church, or somewhere not likely to have a fire or tinderbox around, and then used to light other sources of illumination once there. The later glass-fronted ones combine the windproof ability with a superb directional light, so one could walk with the glass facing their path and not be blinded by the light being right in front of them.
Hi Emily, I see this is an old post, but I guess people will forgive a new reply. There was a type of dark lantern called a "Jack" used for "fire-hunting" meaning hunting at night. It had a slide that could be quickly and silently opened. The gun-handler would wear the closed Jack on his head while his partner gently flushed the game toward him. Upon hearing the rustling the hunter would quickly open the slide and shoot while the game was stationary.
The pierced lanterns were also used for working in the fields at night: you could see well by the light of the "Harvest Moon" and the lantern allowed you to work without your night vision being ruined!❤
This channel is amazingly therapeutic after my 14 hour days. Balancing an extremely high stress work environment with a very calming hour or so of Townsends each day really helps me calm down at the end of the day
Catching up on your older video's I came to this. It brought to mind a poem by Lon Woodrum which I admire, but couldn't help modifying slightly. You look just like an 18th century lantern shopkeeper selling your wares. How wonderfully delightful Jon. I met a stranger in the night, whose lamp had ceased to shine. I paused and let him light his lamp from mine. A tempest sprang up later on, it shook me all about. And when the wind was gone my lamp was out. But then returned the stranger, his lamp was glowing fine. He held the precious flame and lighted mine. I went to thank the stranger, but lo, he was not there. I had served an Angel unaware. Let your light so shine before men... You do and I am grateful.
I love your videos. I watch them for prepper tips. Everyone acts like society will collapse if we lose electricity, but we've only had electricity in every aspect of our lives for 100 years.
Jon, the sheer delight and passion you have for what you do is so particularly heartwarming and wholesome. I love that there is such a good channel with very simple characters which also really makes the viewer ponder and even be appreciative of what they have now. The shows have become an absolute mainstay for us. :)
Love these! The pierced tin lanterns make great "night lights" in a tent. If you want just enough light to see your way on a trail/navigate through a camp, pop the door just a bit. I've also used them to work on projects while at gatherings around a campfire (no need to blind your fellows with a regular lantern). Find a hook to hang it on (or bring your own pole hook), open the door, and rotate it so the light falls on your handwork. Adjust the door to throw just the size pool of light needed.
...just before I clicked the link I saw this video is 13 years old... I briefly thought, huh, might be outdated. Thank you. I've not crafted any tin since middle school.
If your rush light only lasts for 5 minutes, you're doing it wrong. They should go for more like 20-30 minutes. The big advantage of rush lights was, of course, that rushes were free. You could cut some rushes by the edge of a local pond, split them and soak them in leftover cooking grease, and you'd be in business.
@@masonbee2 I am looking for instructions to make rush lights: is there any chance you would consider writing down some directions and sending them to me at m.defeo@hotmail.com? Thanks, mary
ships lanterns were only open on one side because at night they wouldnt interfere with a sailors night vision but still illuminated things in front of them
actually fire was prohibited on ships. only some officers could have a fire/candle lit while sailing. a captain and helpers would light a candle to read a map to do calculation and shut it off as soon as they were done.
Beautiful indeed. Small little lights are such a beautiful thing. You are well prepared for a blackout TOWNSENDS, because you know what to do. We do love your channel.
Over the years you really polished your presentation and exude greater confidence. Your production values were very high even so many years ago. The lighting to video this segment must have been a real challenge having you well lit, while showing candles, and then everything else dark without noise - very well done.
A very illuminating video! It's fascinating to see all the different types of mobile lights that were used in the 18th century. Especially fond of that charming ship's lantern!
This is so funny. I'm still up, not able to sleep last night. It's 7:58 a.m., and I'm listening to a book that talks about preparing rush lights, so, since I couldn't sleep, I thought I'd come out to my pc and research them. I should have known that Townsend's would have a video with them in it. I haven't seen this old of a video of yours - Jon, you talk sooooo fast!!! :) So funny. So now, I actually AM going back to bed with visions of Nutmeg Tavern dancing in my head. :)
@4philipp On the Modern History TV channel there is an episode on Medieval lighting with rushes and tallow. There isn’t anything specific to the type of wicks used in early lighting. Even so, you might enjoy watching the episode. You’ll be grateful to have our modern lights. ( :
Merk lol, I know modern light are a bit of a blessing. As a matter of fact I watched that episode on rush lights just a few days ago. You could say we are lucky that beeswax candles are not just for the upper class anymore.
I so enjoy all of your videos I've seen. I'm a subscribe but, don't make any comments on any channels. I admire your dedication to a forgotten past that we should all learn and be aware of for our own benifit. You're a good teacher! Thank you from the heart.
You're right about the barn lantern being a more archaic design. The leather handle is very similar to those of certain medieval and early modern lantern types. Before the manufacturing of flat and regularly shaped glass panes or plates became more commonplace, most lanterns either used smaller see-through or tinted panes, or just kept using processed, see-through rawhide instead of glass. From what I've studied about usual medieval lanterns, virtually none of them used glass. It only caught on since the late 16th and the 17th century, when small panes like the ones on your barn lantern started appearing on newer lanterns. The barn lantern really seems like a transitional type of lighting device. :-)
A highlight of 2020 was going out in the dark with friends and guiding them through an old cemetery, candle lantern in one hand and walking stick in the other.
Where do you get those 100 watt candles I see in movies? They'll be in a dark room and light a candle and the the light will fill the entire room. I guess it's movie magic.
they call that a practical light, its in the scene just to "act" like the light is coming from it but other lights will be setup off screen to get the correct lighting. :)
They have those candles in the same store that sells Peacemaker Colts which hold more rounds than a Glock 17. It is run by a descendant of Abraham Lincoln. Politics was not an option because he being honest & truthful at all times was kind of a hindrance..................
To add some excitement to my lockdown life, I light my bedroom with only candles from when it gets dark (~5pm in the UK atm). Obviously with the chimney damper open or else the candelabras would kill me 🤣💀
Lanterns actually are pretty popular again, even in modern apartments, houses and gardens. But these are mostly the designs where you put a candle inside. Personally, I also love oil lamps, like the first one presented. This kind of is the oldschool version of a typical torchlight. Also the right oil burns way longer than most candles with the same mass, gotta love that.
The tweezers or small scissors provided with some old lamps and candle stands were for "snuffing"-- the act of trimming off the large burnt pieces that sometimes develop on the end of a wick, so the wick will smoke less and burn more efficiently. A skilled person could remove the burnt-out piece without extinguishing the light. But if you performed this operation in correctly, you would "snuff out" your flame.
If you know that maybe youd have some idea of what another lamp accessory is: I got a brass adjustable oil lamp for vegetable or whale oil, that has several tools hanging from it. Of these, there is a snuffer cap, a pick, a pair of tweezers and one more: what looks like a small brass thimble shaped bucket hanging from a wire bail. I cant for the life of me understand what this was for or why it would be hanging with these tools.
I love your videos, products and your business! Here in southeast NY and CT, colonial era houses, buildings, churches and even whole villages abound, are lived in and since George Washington was very active in this county, he stayed in and visited many of them. My careers have taken me into the attics and basements of those buildings. Why not think about opening a store here in Southern New England? Do you get a lot of orders from this region?
While there is evidence that rushes were used in the colonies, they did use pitchwood in what the German's called Kienspan halters (pine chip holders). Very similar to rushlight holders but heavier
OMGOSH Trying to navigate my way backwards to older videos I haven't seen - this video is adorable! Shhhhhsh don't tell but I love the play pretend part you have here!
I got a iron thing from my grandma that i later found out was a cobblers tool you put shoes on while working on them. I found out later it's Victorian era at least.
@@arthas640 those shoe iron are VERY common because they dont rot away. in my country you can find at least 5 of them for sale everytime they're garage sales going on. i suspect most of them to have been made in china and shipped here in the 70-80's. i dont believe they were so many shoe repair man back in the day.
No bayberry candles? Perhaps bayberry doesn’t grow in Indiana as it does on the east coast. There is little that is more pleasant than the scent of a burning bayberry candle. It’s one of my favorite memories of visiting Colonial Williamsburg.
...taking my 87yr old Gramma for a summer ride, I asked her what was her first paying job... she was born in 1902, and the answer wasn't expected... she said she was 12, (1914), when her father hired her out to another family. She had six siblings, and lived on a farm. She was to tenda seven yr old girl. The poor little girl caught her nightgown afire and was very badly burned. She sat by the little girl, day and night for seven days, until she passed away. The doctor came each day to apply salves, but couldn't save the girl. My gramma said the girl begged the entire time for her mother until she would fall asleep from exhaustion. Mother never came... , stayed in the next room, but no one could induce her to comfort her dying daughter... she faulted her self for her daughters plight... sorry to tell such a sad tale, but my Gramma, a person I loved like no other, had a few sad tales to tell me of earlier times.
Your videos are great, Big fan! I really like the oil lamps, and have been meaning to buy one of them. One question I have is about the iron madem lamp, can it be placed on a table top like the ceramic lamp or dose it have to be suspended on the chain because the metal lamp heats up too much? Is it only for stationary use or could it have be used instead of a candle and candle stick holder?
I would buy more punch tin lanterns if it held a votive type candle holder. It wouldn’t be authentic but the precious bees wax would not run to the bottom of lantern. If the bees wax was contained while burning it would last for hours.
