Oil Lamp, Age, Maker??

Sorry I don't have a pic of the bottom but it is smooth, no pontil or writing. The body stands 3 1/2" tall and 4 1/2" to the top of the burner. The design is on both sides. Anyone know age, maker or any info?

 

Nice! I've not seen that shape before.

 

At the moment can't tell you anything about the miniature lamp other then to say it has a really broken falling apart P & A Mfg. Co. Acorn burner - Plume & Atwood company, most prolific of burner manufacturers. These burners are still being manufactured today; however, the remnants and thumbwheel wording on this burner appear to be an old one. Nowwwww, do know it was common practice to replace burners, especially P & A burners, several times during the lifetime of such a lamp. Acorn, hornet and nutmeg burners are small burners with the acorn the smallest. These burners were and still used on nightlight and miniature lamps. P&A was not the maker of the lamp.

Right now I haven't time to check my miniature/nightlamp books for this particular lamp. Will look this evening.

--- Susan

 

I'm well aware that burners can be changed many times on the same lamp. My Great Grandmother who raised me had a collection of oil lamps from as early as 1825. She was born in 1873 and some had belonged to her mother. No, it's not impossible that this burner does not go with this lamp.

However I know this lamp has some age as my Aunt gave it to me for my 12th birthday and it was not brand new then. I would appreciate it if you can find the maker or any info on it in your book.

 

Oh my gosh! While taking a little rest before starting dinner, I reach over to a book case and pulled out one of my miniature lamps reference books. I off handily ruffled through the pages when up popped this lamp!! The shape is identical with the fired on painting is a little different And has a Nutmeg burner rather than an Acorn burner. The book says it is by Westmoreland dating it c1890. BTW, it originally had a matching melon ribbed shade. The lamp book is Miniature Lamps by Frank & Ruth Smith, published 1968, p. 138 fig. 296. Here what they say:

"Fig. 296. Milk glass with pale pink fired-on paint around the top of the base and bottom of shade and blue flowers; melon ribbed; Nutmeg burner; 7 3/4 inches high. Found also with other decorations. I catalog of Westmoreland Specialty Co., Grapeville, Pa., about 1890, it was called 'Sylan.' See page 22. Authors' Collection."

Let me see if another is pictured on p. 22..... Here's what it says on p. 22:

"We have a stereoptican card (see page 21), with the copyright date of 1899, showing two little girls in their bedroom preparing to retire. On the table by the bed is a miniature lamp like that shown in Fig. 296. Doubtless a child would feel safe and secure with the soft light of such a lamp to frighten away booget men and other such "dangers" that might creep up in the dark."

P. 21 has a pic of the stereoptican card. I wiil scan the pic of the lamp on p. 132 and the pic of the stereoptican card. Hard to see the lamp in the card pic. Marjorie Hulsebus' Price Guide for Miniature Lamps, Revised & Updated 2nd Edition, 2006, gives her price guide for miniature lamps in both of the Smiths' miniature lamp books. Page 30 has the following:

"296 Sylvan, WMG. Painted 205. C"

In 2006 she estimated its price at $205.00 with "C" its rarity as Common. I doubt it would be that valuable and with the absence of the matching shade further reduces its value. Later this evening will post the scans.

--- Susan

 

Thank you very much!

 

WOW Lady, you rock!

 

I'm not surprise you know about the changing of burners, but there some out there that don't. Some think if they can ID the burner they have also ID the lamp maker. I have found that after several years of replying to oil lamp queries on different websites forums, it saves me a lot of time to include that info in the beginning of my replies.

My, I would have loved to see your great grandmother's collection. I inherited a couple of lamps from my grandmother with one being a "skater's lamp." She used it herself ice skating and walking to church on Sunday evenings in the early 1880s. I treasure that lamp.

At the end of this reply are the scans from the Smiths' Miniature Lamp book. I found a couple of these lamps online that the sellers didn't seem to known they were by Westmoreland. I thought you might be interested in what they sold for without the mention of Westmoreland. With the mention of Westmoreland might bring more??? One of them has the original shade.

https://www.antiquesnavigator.com/d...p-shade-pink-white-milk-glass-hp-flowers.html

https://www.antiquesnavigator.com/d-82303/antique-miniature-oil-lamp-milk-glass-glass-must-see.html

Thanks Marie, but for the last 2 to 3 decades the bones of this old board don't "rock" anymore! in pain, .

--- Susan

 

Ladybranch, thank you so very, very much for all that info!!!

 

Sarajayne, before you get too set on this being a Westmoreland glass lamp, I need to tell you what I just found in Ann McDonald's Evolution of the Night Lamp, 1997, pp. 23 & 26. When I found those similar lamps online, my first thought was their similarity to Cosmos miniature lamps by Consolidated Glass. The Cosmos lamps have the same "fired-on paint around the top of the base and bottom of shade." I couldn't see that paint on yours and the one in the Smith book was a black and white pic. Soooo as the evening progressed it bothered me. I have now gone through my other miniature lamp books. In the Evolution of the Night Lamp book found pictured the "Sylvan" lamp. Chapter III "Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company", Pages 21-32, is a sort of history on the Consolidated Lamp company. Here is some of what is said about the Sylvan lamp:

p. 23:
"In 1896, the entire Consolidated operation moved to Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. In a front page ad in CGL, March 25, 1896, they announced: 'Having outgrown the Fostoria plant, it was deemed wise to seek a new location, where could be had all possible advantage for the manufacture and distribution of our wares ....' ... the new plant in Coraopolis, now under Kopp's able management. By June 10, 1896, Kopp had worked wonders. The Coraopolis plant was featured in a full page article, 'The Lamp Makers of America,' in CGL. .... The styles are as varied and diverse as artistic invention, taste, skill, gleaning from all fields, and a study of the best examples of ancient and modern forms could evolve.'

"The article noted the production of night lamps: 'The Dover, Daisy, Sylvan, Acme, Rose and Basket, each and all made in solid opal, turquoise, aqua marine, rose, or canary, in glaze or satin finish, decorated in still life scenes, figures of foliage.' The Daisy was the Cosmos (S286), the Sylvan (S 296) and the Acme (S 383 and 384). ..."

Page 26:
"'The new Sylvan night lamp is a dainty little article and has a big sale already,' wrote a critic in CGL, May 30, 1894. The lamp was pictured in an ad the following March 14, 1895, in C & G. An article February 6, 1895, in CGL on 'The Glass Trade,' called the Sylvan Night Lamp (S 296) a perfect 25 cents night lamp with its handpainted floral shade and base, the shade as thin and delicate as eggshell, the lamp was a good buy then and is popular with collectors today.

"The Star Night Lamp S 241 appeared in an article on ..."

Soooooo, was the lamp manufactured first by Consolidated Lamp and later by Westmoreland or did Consolidated supply Westmoreland with some of their lamps??? BTW, do note the lamp has the same number as in the Smith book. The front of the book gives gratitude to the Smiths for "information they shared, for permission to photograph some of their lamps and to use the Smith numbers in this book." Seems like this book would have mentioned the Westmoreland info from the Smith book. I haven't a Westmoreland book or catalog so can't confirm or deny if this lamp is pictured. Following is a scan of the lamp from this book.

Here is a Sylvan lamp said to be by Consolidated. Do read alllll (click the "read more") that it says above the manufacturer. The seller points out that Smith says Westmoreland and other authors Consolidated.

"In the caption to the photo, Smith attributes all of these lamps to the Westmoreland Specialty Company of Grapeville, Pa. However, all of the lamps shown have been attributed by other authors to Consolidated Glass or its predecessor companies (e.g. Fostoria Shade & Lamp). We don't know if the Smith attribution is an error, or if at some point, the Westmoreland Specialty Company acquired the molds from Consolidated and continued making these lamps. No other authors which we've consulted attribute any of these lamps or patterns to the Westmoreland Specialty Company."

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-sylvan-mini-oil-lamp-fostoria-consolidated

--- Susan

 

Oh My Gosh Sandy! I cannot believe you went to so much trouble for me. I cannot thank you enough. You are a great person!

 

You're welcome. It wasn't just for you. I've been interested in oil lamps especially miniature ones for decades. I enjoy searching for info and IDing them. I have a collections of miniatures as well as several figural spelter, flat hand, and footed hand oil lamps.

--- Susan