CANDLE—

The use of candles dates back to the ancient world. They burned in households, temples, castles, and along stone corridors. Candles were carried through storms, watch shifts, prayer, mourning, and coastal passage.​

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In ancient Rome, tallow was formed around a wick. In China and Japan, waxes were rendered from insects and seeds. In parts of India, cinnamon bark was used as fuel.

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Throughout the Middle Ages in Europe, candles were made primarily from tallow or beeswax. Tallow, derived from cattle or sheep fat, was inexpensive and widely available but produced smoke and strong odor. Beeswax burned cleaner and longer, but required managed hives and was therefore more costly.

Before gas and electric light, candles provided light in homes, workshops, and churches. Households made them seasonally. Chandlers rendered fat, poured molds, or dipped wicks to build layers.

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In the 18th and 19th centuries, coastal New England became a center of spermaceti candle production. Spermaceti, a waxy substance found in the head cavity of the sperm whale, burned brighter and more cleanly than tallow. The port of New Bedford emerged as a leading whaling center, supplying oil and wax for illumination across the United States and Europe.

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By the mid-19th century, paraffin wax derived from petroleum began replacing animal-based waxes. It was less expensive, cleaner-burning, and suited to industrial production. Later developments introduced stearin and blended waxes to improve hardness and burn stability.