Antique Carriage Lamps Still Shine Today
Horse drawn carriages were a vast improvement over the alternatives of the day (horseback riding or walking). Starting in the seventeenth century, horse drawn carriages became the standard for travel. Today, there is an interest in these carriages, and especially in the antique carriage lamps that adorned them.
Typically constructed of brass and wood, these antique carriage lamps were well constructed (and made to stand up to the weather), so many of them have lasted and become very collectible. Carriages came in two basic models - enclosed or open. There was a top cover for the body of a carriage (called the head or hood), which was often made of flexible material, so that it could be folded back. These flexible tops are known as a bellows top or calash. Closed carriages usually had side windows (known as quarter lights) and windows.
The antique carriage lamps that are collected today were mounted on the sides of these closed carriages, near the quarter lights, or on the doors themselves. These lamps served a duel purpose. They functioned as a safety measure in that they made the carriage visible to others at night and they also provided some light for the carriage passengers.
Today, the term "carriage lamp" refers more to the style of a lamp than to its function. Reproduction carriage lamps are extremely popular for use outside (usually found on either side of an entrance / exit door). These reproductions will typically range from ten inches to eighteen inches in overall height. A four or six sided glass globe (the shades) sits at the top of a fluted post. That fluted post is decorative in electric lamps, but had a purpose in the antique carriage lamps; it is where the fuel oil for the lamp was stored.
True antique carriage lamps might be found (as a real treasure) at a yard sale or flea market. Often, they are found in antique dealers stores, nestled among the metal bed and other furniture displays. Antique carriage lamps have quite a presence on the 'Net. There are numerous sites where one can purchase the lamps themselves, as well as materials that would be necessary to repair antique carriage lamps that might already be owned. Most antique carriage lamps are sold in pairs (since that is how they were used originally). A set of good quality antique carriage lamps are typically priced at about six hundred dollars.
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