I wasn\u2019t expecting to discover a piece of the past\u2002that day. I\u2002was, let me be honest, killing time at this Goodwill, sifting through the usual graveyard of soiled mugs, dead mystery cables and the lonely rollerblade that lost its sole mate. You know the scene. But then I saw it \u2014 this tall,\u2002delicate glass thing with a gold spiral wrapped around its belly. It seems it would be akin to the delicate, blown\u2002glass oil lamps of yore.<\/p>\n
At first I thought it\u2002was a strange champagne flute. You know, one of those \u201cartsy\u201d ones you never really drink from (but keep\u2002around to impress those guests you don\u2019t like.) But the top was barely open. You know, a jellybean might be able to\u2002squeeze through.\u201d I was standing there holding\u2002it, puzzled, when it occurred to me:<\/p>\n
It was an oil glass diesels oil\u2002lamp. Or part of one \u2014 the base of one, lacking both the wick and the little\u2002holder part up top. Still, I was kind of in awe.<\/p>\n
Back When Light Was More Than Just Flipping a Switch
\nBlown-glass oil lamps aren\u2019t\u2002just pretty, they\u2019re functional art, and they plunge you right into the \u201cgood old days\u201d mood. I mean can you imagine illuminating your home with glass quite this fragile and\u2002beautiful? No LEDs. No dimmer switches. Nothing but a little flame, wobbling in a hand-blown piece of glass that I imagine was made by someone who gave\u2002a damn about what they made. This thing I found? It was gold, with a spiral\u2002pattern wrapped around it like a candy cane with class. The glass was\u2002ever so slightly uneven, in that cute way that says this wasn\u2019t made by a machine. It seemed like something that belonged in a cozy cabin with creaky\u2002floors and a stack of old books, not beside a chipped snow globe and plastic Halloween mug. Admittedly, those blown glass oil lamps\u2002have a special charm.<\/p>\n
What Makes Blown Glass Oil Lamps So Cool
\nFine, so let\u2019s geek out for a\u2002minute. Hand blown glass oil lamps were all the rage before electricity came around, and\u2002frankly never went out of style. Many were crafted with an eye for beauty \u2014 curved glass, swirls of\u2002color, sometimes elaborate patterns melted into the glass itself. And being handmade\u2002and all, they were all a bit different.<\/p>\n
Some of them were even created as \u201cwhimsies\u201d \u2014 that is, glassblowers taking it easy at the end of a long day, creating whatever struck their fancy from a pile of leftover\u2002pieces of glass. Which kind of makes each\u2002cool lamp even cooler, right? It\u2019s like having a snapshot of someone\u2019s creativity in your\u2002hand. That\u2019s the appeal of\u2002blown glass oil lamps.<\/p>\n
However,\u2002and there\u2019s a a possibility that this is just me, I like the idea of things that serve a purpose and look good doing it.<\/p>\n
The Missing Wick Mystery
\nMine\u2002was missing both the wick and the insert, which I later discovered is fairly typical. Those\u2002small pieces disappear with time. To be totally honest, if I hadn\u2019t already known what it was, I\u2019d likely have thrown it into a drawer and just assumed that it\u2002was some kind of weird vase for a single spaghetti noodle.<\/p>\n
But now that I know? I\u2019m looking for\u2002something to replace it. So, turns out\u2002you can buy wick holders online if you know the size. At\u2002worst, I\u2019ll just jury-rig something myself. It will not make its way into museums,\u2002but it will make do. This\u2002search has made me love my blown glass oil lamps even more.<\/p>\n
And I\u2002will tell you this: I will light it once. Just to get an idea of what\u2002sort of glow it emits. Just to sit in that soft light and fantasize, for a moment, that I\u2019m living in a slower,\u2002more peaceful era.<\/p>\n
Why You Should Snag One If You See It
\nLook, I get it. Vintage glass isn\u2019t\u2002everyone\u2019s thing. Not everyone enjoys clean lines and smart bulbs responsive to\u2002their voice. But blown glass oil lamps? They\u2019re little time machines. You take one in your\u2002hand, and suddenly you are holding not just glass but a moment. Maybe it\u2019s that one old movie where they carried a lamp down a\u2002creaky hallway, or the memory of your grandparents\u2019 house. Or maybe it\u2019s just the note that light has been something\u2002you cultivated, not just something you flipped on.<\/p>\n
So the next time you\u2019re perusing the aisles of a thrift store, and you spy something that looks like a champagne flute forged\u2002by a wizard, get it. Take it home. Clean it up. Maybe you\u2019ll cast a warm little glow from the past into your modern\u2002space with one of these blown glass oil lamps<\/p>\n