Imperial "Candlewick" Hurricane Lamps

by Virginia Scott
Glass Review - January 1978

When I was writing my booklet on Candlewick in 1975, I was amazed to find that Imperial Glass Corporation had made so many different styles of candleholders and hurricane lamps in the pattern. Twenty styles of candleholders are shown in my December 1977 article and ten styles of hurricane lamps are shown here. It is quite possible that there were others.

Candlewick Candleholders

Candlewick hurricane lamps are usually made by adding a globe or chimney to one of the Candlewick candleholders. In many cases the "Candlewick Cantata Adapter," patented in 1942, is also used to provide a place for the globe to rest. This adapter fits into the candleholder with a peg. It adds height to the lamp and provides a new hole for the candle and a flange to hold the chimney.

No. 7 shows one of the earliest Candlewick hurricane lamps. This lamp, which resembles an old style oil lamp, was pictured in the materials I examined at Imperial. No information as to the measurements of the lamp or about how long it was made was given. If any of you have this lamp, please write me about it.

Another early Candlewick hurricane is the 400/142K/HL (No. 1). The Candlewick adapter and a globe are used to convert the 400/142K Rose Bowl to a lamp. This lamp, pictured in a 1943 Ad found in an Imperial Ad Scrapbook, is, so far as I know, the only instance in which the adapter is not used in a candleholder. The Twin Hurricane {No. 2), From a 1943 Ad, is an imposing lamp but bears little resemblance to Candlewick except for the adapters. The candleholder would be difficult to recognize as Candlewick if the adapters were missing so Collectors may want to memorize the details of it so that they would know it if they should happen to find it.

No. 3 shows the 400/152R hurricane which was made by putting the Candlewick adapter in the 400/79R (rolled) candleholder. ` This lamp was produced from about 1942 to the late 1950s. 400/79 (No. 9) is also made from the 400/79R candleholder. It does not use the adapter but adds only a special chimney. This hurricane, which was made from the early 1940s until the l96Os, has been reissued by Imperial in 1977.

No. 8 shows the 400/32 hurricane which uses the Candlewick adapter in a candleholder base which was made, according to an Imperial notation, for Lightolier Company, makers of electric lamps and chandeliers. This lamp-part may be found on some old hanging lamps.

The 400/178 hurricane (No. 4) is made by placing a globe in the 400/40F Flower candleholder. No. 6 shows a hurricane which Imperial is producing in 1977-78. This is simply a 400/156 - 6" Candlewick ashtray fitted with a large hurricane globe. It requires a pillar candle.

One of the loveliest Candlewick hurricanes is the 400/1753 (No. 5) - This lamp was made by adding the Candlewick adapter and prisms to the 400/176 4-bead candleholder. It was made for only a short time in the early 1950s, as was the 400/264 lamp (No. 10) which puts a slender chimney on the 400/224 candleholder.