A bellows is a handy fireplace tool, still used today. It worked far more easily and efficiently than simply breathing on a fire to make it burn better. The user pumped the bellows to provide the necessary stream of oxygen. Bellows were a common household item that could be purchased at the local store. Ephraim Upham of Deerfield, Massachusetts, bought a bellows for 83 cents at Orlando Ware’s store in 1803.