H70.142.16

• california gold rush

Candlestick. Description: Brass candlestick with finger-type handle. Said to have been used in North bloomfield. From the History Information Station: Object: Brass candlestick and candle. Used in North Bloomfield, a Gold Rush town now located in Malakoff Diggings State Historic Park in Nevada County. History: On the frontier, windows--with or without glass-- were the main source of light in private homes. After dark, people carried candles to light the way to the bedroom or barn. Candles were carried in both lanterns and candleholders. Since candlelight was not very strong, candles were rarely used simply to light a room where people were sitting; in a house lit only by candles, people usually went to bed when it got too dark to see. Though not shown here, a house like this one would have contained one or two oil lamps, which cast a steadier light than candles and allowed people to stay up a bit longer after dark.