Of the many challenges of working with vintage lighting fixtures, including finding antique lighting fixtures in the first place, is refinishing them to match the colors, depth, sheen, and the finishing process of the original finish. This is one of the most frustrating parts of restoring vintage fixtures as trial after trial often results in error. There is more than one fixture in the warehouse which has been set aside until an appropriate finish can be duplicate (I won't say it, but some of our antique fixtures have been waiting years for a vintage finish to be duplicated). Now, it is always difficult to tell just what the original antique finish looked like as the effects of smoke, smog, oxidation, waxing, and cleaning almost always alter the antique finish somewhat. Images in old catalogs are not much use either as the photographic and printing processes back then did not accurately reproduce colors. But there are clues which do show what the fixture would have looked like in 1924. The most accurate clue is found where two pieces have come together to cover a small portion of the fixture. As in the case above, another clue was found in the cavity under the socket bowl where any airborne particles landed on the top surface and where it was difficult to reach with wax or cleaner. And a closer look under magnification also revealed marks left from the original vintage finish application.
Taking these clues into account, along with the information we learn from hundreds and hundreds of trial & error experiments allows us to reproduce the above finish, which is an exact match of the original antique finish.
Although it is very frustrating when the failures at duplicating finishes reaches a dead end, when we can combine our experiences to faithfully and accurately produce a finish which mirrors the original, we are proud.
Listen to Your Eyes. PB
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