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The Web Site for All Things Colonial -- All aspects of Colonial American history and early American antiques. Original articles on wide variety of aspects of early American life. Community includes nationwide event calendar, antique dealers and show promoters, downloads, online resources (links to other colonial-themed websites), early American recipes, marketplace, forums with book & film reviews & much more!

Two new sections added to the Jacquard Loom article: Coverlet Titles and a list of Professional Weavers...

In our first chapter we said that there was little evidence that rushlighting was ever used in Colonial America. The same cannot be said about Betty lamps. The name "Betty lamp" was often used for a type of lamp that included a crusie, Phoebe, or slut lamp. Colonial Sense will make distinction between the different types. The first lamps were brought over from England and Holland with the Pilgrims. Captain John Carver, the first Governor of Plymouth Colony, brought with him a Dutch iron betty lamp purchased in Holland. The simplest form of lamp brought with the colonists was an iron saucer with one or two lips at the edge to hold a wick. The lamp had similar form to the Greek, Roman, and Assyrian versions. There was a need for lighting in the early days of our country. Edward Winslow, the second Governor of the Plymouth Colony, wrote a letter back to the prospective colonists in 1621 stating, "Bring paper and linseed oil for your windows, with cotton yarn for your lamps."

New article on Colonial Sense on Mochaware...

In the antique industry, some of the more affordable pieces for a collector to start collecting are barrels, piggins, buckets, firkins, and butter churns. However, if collectors only knew the amount of time that is dedicated to each piece, there would be a greater appreciation to the value of such items. The colonial trade that makes barrels and various casks is known as a cooper. His work was performed in a cooperage. It is a trade that dates back to well over 4000 years. The word "cooper" is derived from "cuparius" of Roman times, makers of cupals or wooden casks in which wine producers of Cisalpine Gaul stored their wares.

Here is a little tin box with a finger handle, and with a candle socket soldered upon its lid and a loose lid inside containing a piece of flint, a piece of steel, a scorched rag and several splints of wood tipped with sulphur, which is the apparatus for making fire used in our colonial ancestors in Bucks county and from time immemorial by all the so-called civilized people of the work. To make fire thus, four operations are necessary. You must make the spark, retain the spark, then produce the flame and retain the flame. Holding the circlet of steel vertically in your left hand you strike diagonally downward upon its outer edge with the flint so that a spark of percussion flies downward into the tinder, which is a scorched linen rag lying in the box beneath; the latter holds the spark as a smouldering ember, until you touch the spunk or sulphur-tipped splint upon it, whereupon with a little blowing the sulphur takes fire and you have a lighted match with which you light the candle set in the socket in the box lid. Perhaps this is not much to look at, but from a historic point of view it is a thing of such importance that it might be described as the master of human progress from prehistoric time down to 1835, or as visible proof of perhaps the greatest discovery that man ever made.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 20th century has been well recognized as "The Steel City." However, in the 1800's it became a prosperous region for glass manufacturing. Names like Stiegel, Wistar, and Amelung are important names in the early development of glassmaking. But changes to the new method of shaping glass articles made the Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania one of the longest and most flourishing glass centers in the country. Glass collectors know that some of the rarest and finest examples of glassmaking come from the Pittsburgh, Monongahela and Ohio districts.

On December 4, 2010, The Peter Wentz Farmstead in Worcester, Pennsylvania will be holding their Candlelight Tour of the colonial home. The path to the home will be lit with soft glow candlelights. The Farmstead will be showcasing period music and seasonal decorations.