Abstract
The science and art of illumination are nothing if not progressive and the displacement of the candle, emblem of humble domesticity and spiritual occasions, by other forms of light is but one of the inevitable consequences of modern progress. Candle manufacture is casually regarded as a minor industry to-day, but such is actually not the fact as Mr. David Allan showed in his paper on this subject before the Institution of Petroleum Technologists on February 14. The candle has had a firm place in history and religion since ancient times. Its simplicity of construction and self-contained character have commended it for use in diverse circumstances where soft and easy illumination have been required. Essentially a cylinder of fat or wax enveloping a fibrous core or wick, cast in various shapes and sizes, its form has varied but little throughout the ages. Attention latterly has been paid chiefly to efficiency and cheapening of methods of manufacture, while a measure of artistic evolution is discernible in the shapeliness of form and decorative effects achieved in the modern product. The candle industry, in so far as it relates to manufacturing process, is a comparatively straightforward matter, but the technology behind it is by no means so simple. The author has done good service, not only by presenting a comprehensive account of the subject, but also in describing the essential technology. While the petroleum industry cannot claim the candle as entirely its own product, the paper shows clearly that this article of commerce is by no means one of minor importance, and the link between hydrocarbon oils and saponifiable fats and waxes is once again well illustrated by its technical study and description.
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Candles and Candlemaking. Nature 131, 269 (1933). https://doi.org/10.1038/131269a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/131269a0