More Pics Of 1909 Lamps

[ironlord1963]

    Yes, sometime a appraiser should be seeked out for the hand on touch, which says alot for value.  But now am I to understand that the mica is the shade, and nothing is missing  .   Sorry if it is I that is confused here a bit   .  I don't mean in anyway to de-value anything, but I have for example a $200.00 Tea Set, 130 years old and only a couple of dents, I still have it and even dropped my price to $35.00.  First E-bay will undervalue any piece you have, and right now the collectors are still buying but they are much more picky right now, Buyers market kind of thing.  If you really can feel the value in the piece when you hold it, then E-bay may not be the route you wish to take.  Again I can't feel the piece for myself and this will tell one alot, you may very well have a $400.00, but the higher the value the less the demand.

[Randell15501]

also the socket and the wiring is why they made it I was told that they kept shortin out so the lady unplugged them and put them above her organ and never touched them afterwards also the pictures are dark but why does mica flake for that stuff is weird and the socket at the end dont think it was designed for todays standards its all metal nothing seperates current thas why i think they shorted for her she tried to plug them in to modern style outlet she was 88 and got them from her deseased husbands father was wiring sockets the same design in the time period ?

[ironlord1963]

I did find that during the period around 1909 was when many changes in the bulbs was taking place.  The gas bulbs was being replaced by incentdent type, what is used today, the bulb was taking the shape of modern ones around this period.  If a modern bulb today fits then it is a one the the first of it kind around 1909.  This is early electricity and rich city folks was in a new luxery at this time.  As for Mica, it is a natural material that can easly be carved into the wonderful cylinders that would make wonderful subtle lite,  Mica is easly flaked and over time that would be expected.   As for the short out situation should have little to do with being made for early electricity, No transformers are required for bulbs, I would say it must have a cord problem.  Consider, maybe making them functionable, Not sure how much that would effect value, but may make them easier to sell.

[Randell15501]

Im sure they can be workable if they were mabe rewired them. also there is no switches. were they lamps equipped with switches then? you dont think youd just plug them in and bam light ??

[ironlord1963]

Actually yea many lamps were just plug in usually a wall switch would activate the plug.  I did go surfing around a bit at Lithophane lamps, They were something made to have a kinda night light effect but with some kind of Art.  Maybe we are heading down the wrong road here.  If the Mica Tube is the shade then not sure it can be called a Lithophane.  It would be intresting to see what the light would look like if they were working that may tell us alot, maybe the Mica would have a wonderful effect Micaophane lamp  .  Again not my area but this has taught me alot so far, thank     

[cogar]

the socket at the end dont think it was designed for todays standards its all metal nothing seperates current thas why i think they shorted for her she tried to plug them in to modern style outlet

There are several "standard size" bulbs and sockets and all kind of bulb shapes from long skinny ones to short fat ones.

Randell, me thinks that lamp base will separate so that one can get the lamp socket out. Otherwise there is no way to repair/re-wire it. And besides, the wired socket was put there when it was manufactured.

And it is possible that there is a "switch" inside the base that is turned on/off by twisting a part of the base. And unless the electrical "short" is in the plug, then you will probably find it where the wires attach to the bulb socket.

And ps, (my mind is slow this morning). Many lighting devices were produced with "in-line" switches in the electric cord. So, it is possible those lamps were re-wired at some time and the person didn't have and/or didn't replace said "in-line" switches, thus they are now wired to be always "on". Fixer-uppers do strange things, ya know. 

[Randell15501]

how do you go about finding and intrested buyers for these lamps im behind on bills and will sale for 100-150 for the pair anyone intrested please give me a hollar thanks Randell   ps. I know this isnt a sales forum but im lost and ebay is a joke sometimes