Author Topic: Old Turkish Lantern / Florence Nightingale?  (Read 1887 times)

limfa

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Old Turkish Lantern / Florence Nightingale?
« on: October 16, 2010, 02:38:17 am »
I have an old Turkish paper lantern with a brass top and base which looks like the iconic object of Florence Nightingale.
I would really like to know its value today and from what little I could find out it was perhaps used in Scutari Hospital during the Crimean War. c.1889.

Your help and knowledge is much appreciated!

mariok54

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Re: Old Turkish Lantern / Florence Nightingale?
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2010, 02:47:45 am »
Hi Limfa,
What makes you think that it is as old as the 19th c and that it may have been used in the Crimea? I am no expert but it certainly looks like a Turkish folding lantern of that period. But you do need to be careful as they are still being mass produced today, and because of this you may need to be careful that it isn't a replica. If it is from the Crimea then it is a lot older than 1889, and so amazing that it has survived so long with the paper shade in such good condition.

There are images like yours, one on the home page of the Florence N. Museum  

http://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/cms/


If you can trace it back that far, provenance is always useful, then its history would certainly be interesting. If you can account for its past 50 years then that would certainly help.

One identical to yours appears here.. In almost the same condition, so yours could be original, and if it is, and survived in such good condition...

http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nursing/acute-care/florence-nightingale-museum-to-reopen/5011980.article.

These things can be so specialist that my advice would be to look around your area for an Auction House that has an expert on Militaria, and they should be able to authenticate it and also give you a hammer price for it (hammer price, as you know, will always be a lot lower than insurance price)

« Last Edit: October 16, 2010, 03:27:55 am by mariok54 »

KC

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Re: Old Turkish Lantern / Florence Nightingale?
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2010, 02:15:45 pm »
Any markings on it?  Unusual tool marks?

Well given advice from mariok54!
I'm from the South - but please don't mistake my Southern Manners/Accent/Charm as a weakness!