Images(2)

Wick Trimmer

PeriodLate 18th - early 19th century

MediumSteel, iron, brass

Dimensions1.75 × 2 × 6.5 in. (4.4 × 5.1 × 16.5 cm)

ClassificationsLighting Equipment & Accessories

Credit LineGift of Katharine Bartlett and Susan Trautvetter on behalf of their mother Jane Harris Hendrickson Bartlett, 2018

Object number2018.3.4

DescriptionA scissor style wick trimmer resting atop three small attached peg feet. Small box compartment is fixed to the main scissor arm into which the damper blade fits.
Curatorial RemarksCandlestick snuffers came in several styles and were an integral part of many households. Candles of the 18th century had string-type wicks, which often "guttered," or burned unevenly. Scissor-style snuffers also served as trimmers.When opened, the scissors would be aligned with the burned wick, then closed, capturing the ashy portion and keeping debris to a minimum. The box could also extinguish the flame - blowing out a flame resulted in excessive smoke.NotesThis candlestick scissors-style snuffer came from Locustwood, a large restrained Greek Revivial residence in Middletown Village, Monmouth County, NJ. It was built in 1830-1832 by Charles Hendrickson (1805-1889), the donor's great grandfather.