Idenifying Glass Kerosene Lamps
Hi Nadja,I saw your article on antique kerosene lamps while trying to Google some information about a lamp that was passed down to me from my great aunt. I was wondering if you would be able to give me any information about my lamp. Any info you may have would be greatly appreciated, my head is spinning from trying to sort out all the different directions Google is sending me. To be quite honest I am not even sure if it is an antique or just a replica she had for years.Thank you so much for your time,K.J.—Response:Your great aunt’s lamp was originally for kerosene, but unfortunately has lost many of its original components, thus seriously depreciating its collector’s value. It was useful that you shot close-up photos of the raised signature in the casting. I think perhaps the photos is flipped so it is hard to make out the initials, but I’m guessing on the Pittsburgh Lamp, Brass, and Glass Company.
The crackle glass shade, definitely appears to my eye to be a reproduction– most likely Italian and probably purchased in the the 1960s. The entire burner has been removed and replaced with a new unit commonly used in the mid 20th century to convert oil lamps to electric lamps. It looks as if the original font for storing the oil which would have sat inside the round bulbous portion and was connected to the burner may have been tossed as well. Nowadays smart collectors who wish to use their kerosene lamps with electricity save the burner and keep the font in tact.
Identifying Glass Kerosene Lamps Home Depot
Rather than drilling and threading the wiring through the lamp, they run the wire from the replacement socket so as not to interfere with the integrity of the original construction.If you are using the lamp, feel confortable in replacing the shade with one that has a closer appearance to what might have been used during the era– acid etched, stenciled, or painted decoration. A different type of socket and shade holder can enable you to use a clear chimney inside the shade, but the monetary investment may not be worthwhile. In its present condition, I would estimate your lamp’s value at approximately $60-$75.If you have fond memories of your aunt, with a little love and care to further restoration, it could be a keeper.–Nadja Maril.
Thank you so much for your quick response Nadja. Strangely, that picture isn’t flipped, the actual stamp is.
It is the initials L&S I believe, but flipped. Although the numbers that are stamped on there are not, they read 1624 I believe. I can’t quite make out the second number but I am fairly sure it is a 6.Thank you so much for the information you were able to supply. It is a shame that they didn’t know better when they converted it to electricity, but I suppose that wasn’t uncommon back then.You have given me a great starting point for if I do choose to restore it.
This classic Tilley lamp comes as shown with spare Mantles and small bag of parts labelled for TILLEY. Not sure if the Aladdin mantle is compatible but its included! The lamp is shown as found, what you see is exactly what you get so please refer to the images provided. I note the pressure plunger rod is missing?
The lamp stands 53cm, total weight 2 Kilos. The Tilley lamp derives from John Tilley’s invention of the hydro-pneumatic blowpipe in 1813 in England. Tilley were manufacturing pressure lamps at their works in Stoke Newington in 1818, and Shoreditch, in the 1830s. The company moved to Brent Street in Hendon in 1915 during World War I, and started to work with paraffin (kerosene) as a fuel for the lamps. About Kerosene LampsThe cabin's interior is lit with a warm reddish glow, the rough walls washed in brilliance while you read comfortably in a chair by the window.
A kerosene lamp can serve many purposes, from mood lighting in a country home to emergency illumination in the event of an outage. Kerosene burns without odor so you do not have to worry about stinking up your living room.
These lamps have glass chimneys to keep fires fed with oxygen and fumes safely channeled. An antique kerosene lamp can also be an attractive decorative element in a home with a more traditional sense of aesthetics. A vintage kerosene lamp with a filigree cage or some form of bronze sheathing or metalwork around its glass reservoir and chimney cuts a handsome profile on a shelf, and when lit, its ruddy light throws long, deep shadows and provides enough light for a late-night game of cards or to read by after the sun has gone down. You can find a kerosene lamp through the vast inventory of lamps and glassware on eBay.