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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: greenacres on June 03, 2017, 11:53:04 am
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I everyone it's been a while. My friend asked me to post this kerosene lamp. I told her to send more photos. I'm on my way to Antique Roadshow. I think I won the lottery for the tickets because it's in Harrisburg and I chose the late time.
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Another photo. I didn't see this one.
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This is not a kerosene lamp in the usual sense, but rather a vaporizer. It was patented by the Vapo-Cresoline Company of New York in the mid 1880s after the company was started in 1879. Kerosene was used to heat a burner filled with a substance that was then used as a vaporizer to cure things like whooping cough and other respiratory ailments. This Cresoline substance was made with carbolic acid.
Basically, this was quack medicine. Vapo-Cresoline did not cure anything, and in fact put people - especially children - in danger, as their conditions would continue to deteriorate while they believed they were being cured. And yet somehow the company expanded and stayed in business up until the early 1950s, by which time the burners were electrified.
These Vapo-Cresoline "vaporizers" came as kits in boxes, and kits these days are almost always missing pieces, as yours is. An intact burner set might bring $35-$40, while most are worthless. Unfortunately, they're pretty (like most things form the 1880s and 1890s) and therefore attractive and curious enough to make a lamp collector part with a few bucks.
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Way to go ghopper1924! Karma to you!
Still think these are a neat piece of history. Medical collectors still love these items!
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Definitely a piece of medical history!
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Thank you all. My friend appreciates your help. Thank you ghopper 1924.
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Any time! Be sure and tip your waiter with a karma point! ;)
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I gave you a brownie point too since I learned something here !! I had never seen a vaporizer !! Thanks for the history lesson !!
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I just spoke with my friend. She paid &10. It was a good buy then.
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Not bad. They're missing the milk glass shades.
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She is searching to buy. I told her to just it in the search engine and see what comes up.
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I found one design online. A lovely design at the (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Antique-Aladdin-Model-12-Brass-Oil-Kerosene-Student-Table-Mantle-Lamp-/222296152785?_ul=DO)
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Here's one that's being parted out. Good price, and it includes a shade:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Vapo-Cresoline-lamp-for-parts-/182584591132?hash=item2a82e3c31c:g:Jf8AAOSw~FJZFypo