Author Topic: The 'ugly' lamp  (Read 2544 times)

sapphire

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The 'ugly' lamp
« on: February 09, 2013, 05:44:43 pm »
I have been given temporary custody of an old oil lamp by my best friend. She lost both parents this past year and has the task so many inherit of sorting and selling their house and contents. She had thought this lamp.....which many years ago she had christened the UGLY lamp....should be destined for donation at a thrift shop. I threatened to whoop her if she did any such thing. So she delivered it to me and told me to enjoy the quest.

From what she was told it belonged to her father's grandparents. Her dad was 90 when he passed. It has been converted to electric.......I'd say in the 40's/50's by the looks of the plug. There are no cracks, chips or flaws in the glass that I have found, other than what appears to be a small piece missing from inside the metal threaded area which appears to have a cement of some sort. I can find no other mark except a 332 (?) on the underside of the metal base. Her father had told her that the chimney (she assumes he means the original) is still somewhere in the house (that part is her quest).

Am I close with a Gone With The Wind, circa 1890's?  Does a rather home done conversion detract much from it? Any idea of approximate value?

Unfortunately waited a bit too long today and missed out on good daylight. It's not quite as 'lime' green as it shows.....personall y I don't consider it ugly, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder  ;)

sapphire

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Re: The 'ugly' lamp
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2013, 05:51:40 pm »
Forgot to mention the globe and base are approx. 9" across and it stands just shy of 19" without chimney.

A shot of the conversion 'job' and the metal trim around the upper opening of the globe (the white is some paint that must have been dropped on it)


mart

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Re: The 'ugly' lamp
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2013, 08:19:44 pm »
Well, its not 1890`s,,,more likely 30`s or 40`s !! Can`t really tell if its a conversion or just a redo with repairs !!

sapphire

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Re: The 'ugly' lamp
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2013, 08:53:19 pm »
It originally was an oil. Who ever did it removed the knob for turning the wick and also cut a hole through the part that holds the globe in order for the chain to hang down without interfering with it. I can still see part of the slot where it would normally have been. Had no idea how to date this and was only going by pictures of ones that looked similar. I'm not familiar with them at all and with no usable marks was lost.

That's the hard part about the spoken 'history'. Basing it on a 90 yr old's grandparents possession.......wh en did they actually acquire it?

How did you determine the age mart?

sapphire

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Re: The 'ugly' lamp
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2013, 09:06:06 pm »
Modification (I think) pics

sapphire

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Re: The 'ugly' lamp
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2013, 09:07:27 pm »
A couple more.....


mart

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Re: The 'ugly' lamp
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2013, 09:07:41 pm »
Just by the bottom and what the base looks like and the overall style !!  Get a few more opinions though,, not just mine !!  What is the lamp made of ??  That pic looks like its opaque,, almost like a china type !!

mart

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Re: The 'ugly' lamp
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2013, 09:20:06 pm »
These lamps were made into the 70`s because of the popularity of GWTW in all kind of styles !!  I still think yours is 40ish !!

sapphire

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Re: The 'ugly' lamp
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2013, 09:54:04 pm »
mart, it's glass from what I can tell. Looking down into the top globe it is appears to be almost a white glass. Don't really know how to explain it.  Not like a milk glass, it's white but has a glassy surface.....does that make sense? The outside has a 'texture'......not rough, I just assumed it was painted. Geez, now I need to go look at that again  :D

If you look at the second pic I posted that shows the threading in the lower portion you can see a bit of the inside. That's the only part that has the green 'inside'. Where it is 'white' is where the glossy surface also starts/shows.

Shouldn't type this late at night........sure hope it made sense to you cause reading it back I'm having trouble figuring out what I'm explaining  ::)

sapphire

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Re: The 'ugly' lamp
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2013, 10:12:10 pm »
I'm thinking tomorrow is going to bring a good cleaning because looking at the pic I mentioned the 'green' appears to be as glassy/glossy as the 'white'. Wonder if the texture I'm feeling is just a build up on the surface rather than something applied.

cogar

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Re: The 'ugly' lamp
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2013, 05:51:34 am »
It is an old kerosene lamp that was converted. And lucky for whoever they didn't drill a hole in the bottom of the glass to bring the electric cord up thru the center of the lamp.

I'm sure you can buy a replacement "burner" if you want to undo the conversion.

Ugly or not, it's surely worth a couple hundred just for the glass parts.