A carriage lamp is a lamp designed to be mounted on the side of a horse-drawn carriage to light the road ahead and make the vehicle visible to others. Most were made in pairs and consist of a tall case of brass, nickel-plated metal or black-painted steel with a glazed front and sides, a silvered reflector behind the flame and a chimney or vented top.
Carriage lamps were made from the late eighteenth century until the arrival of the motor car, reaching a peak of quality in the Victorian period, when coachbuilders supplied elegant lamps to match private carriages, broughams and landaus. Most burned a candle held in a spring-loaded tube that pushed it upwards as it burned down, keeping the flame at a constant height, though some later lamps used oil. Fine examples have bevelled or faceted glass, coloured side jewels, crisp castings and maker's or coachbuilder's marks. Collectors look for complete pairs with their original reflectors and mounting brackets. Many carriage lamps have been converted to electricity and mounted beside front doors, gateposts and stable entrances, where they suit period houses particularly well.
