How to tell if an antique shade is really old?

A customer recently asked me a question I remember asking a mentor many years ago: "How can you tell if a shade for an antique fixture is really old or a reproduction?" My mentor's first response was, "You can just tell."  Frustrated by his answer, I asked him to elaborate on the signs which indicate a shade is vintage and old. I thought I would share what was shared with me back then. The following is more a guideline than a rule for vintage and antique shades.

First, look at the top opening of the shade. Vintage shades were hand blown into a mold and resulted with the top edge of the shade nicely rolled and smooth. Reproduction shades have a flat ground top which is much faster and easier to finish. This is about 95 % accurate. Some vintage shades are very thin and this indicator is not there.

Second, look just below the top rolled edge of the opening. Antique shades will have a thin ring which is rough, where the hand blown glass was broken out of the mold. If these first two are on shade it is a good bet it is antique and vintage.

Third, there will be small seams in the glass where the mold is clamped together. Vintage shades will have 2 to 4 "mold marks" where reproduction shades will usually have only 2.

Fourth, vintage and antique shade often have slight imperfections such as air bubbles, insignificant discoloration, minor unevenness in the finish and thickness of the glass, and trivial deformities. For collectors these imperfections are looked for as they indicate the human touch imparted to the vintage shade.

In addition, vintage shades have a look and feel which reproduction shades just do not have. This is what my mentor was referring to when he said "You can just tell." And after handling thousands of shades over the years, both vintage and reproduction, I too can "just tell."

My customer was spared the frustration of "You can just tell" and was was given the rest of this short lesson on how to tell if an antique shade is really old.

Listen to Your Eyes. PB

Gamble House gamble, Greene & Greene go round

Yesterday we took a tour of the Greene & Greene Gamble house in Pasadena. Agreed, one of the most impressive structures I have seen. Unbelievable attention to detail thoughout, from the almost unnoticable silver inlays to the way the carvings on the freize in the living room are all carved so the grain of the wood produces the design (here, in the darkest corner of the house, the carving is of the moon with a couple bats flying around). At over 4000 sq. ft., the house took a mere 10 months to build.
I now understand the inspiration, beauty, and wonder this home instills in one's soul, how this structure is one that the common man can relate to, feel connected to.
But what I am still trying to get my head around is why there are so many Greene & Greene knock offs, Gamble House imitators? I keep wondering "Why don't these people or businesses create their own legacy instead of copying someone else, even if it is the Greene brothers?" What inspired Greene & Greene and where is that same inspiration today? And yes, I recognize they certainly are a source of inspiration.

Why do we not have this caliber of craftsman today? Or do we, but as in the Greene's case it takes the test of time for the genius to show?

So, at least for Linda & I, the Gamble House passes a true test of art: it moved us from inspiration into thought, thought into questions, and questions into discussion. The best result any of us can hope for.

Listen to Your Eyes. PB

Original Finish vs. Patina on Vintage lighting fixtures

We were recently asked to clarify one of our descriptions which read in part: "original finish and patina." The customer asked if "finish" and "patina" were not the same thing. Great question, because the answer is, they can be. And it can be a little confusing.
Certain metals used in the structure of the vintage light fixture, such as bronze, brass, copper, or aluminum, are exposed to chemicals which darken the surface of the metal. The result of this process is called the patina. Different chemicals create different colors on the metal. Sometimes in the finishing of the fixture, the patina is removed on parts of the fixture to create contrast and highlights, as in the image above. Patina could also be used to describe the look on the surface of an antique lighting fixture created by time, exposure to smoke (cigarette, coal, wood), natural darking of the protective finish of wax or shellac, oil build up, residue from cleaning products, etc. A vintage fixture which had been patinated (patina) and its original color from the patina process is still intact is called its patina. If this same fixture still retains its original protective coating of say, shellac, this could be called as its original finish.

The above vintage fixture is solid bronze, which was darkened by the patina process, then the patina was selectively removed to create the wonderful contrast of light and dark. The protective finish, most likely shellac, has mellowed to impart a warm undertone to the entire fixture. This antique lighting fixture retains its original finish and patina.

If the vintage fixture was originally painted (no patina) this would be called its original finish, instead of calling this finish its patina.
Now if this painted fixture still has all the accumulated dust, oils, and discolorations from time, this could be called its patina, although it is usually just called its original finish (unlike furniture where this undisturbed condition is called its patina).

Vintage light fixtures with a higher value are affected more by the condition of their original finish and patina than vintage light fixtures of lesser value. Quite often the condition of mid-range vintage fixtures is so deteriorated that the only way these vintage fixtures can be realistically used again is if they are completely refinished. In these cases this increases the value of vintage fixture.

We always prefer to retain original finish and patina when possible.

Listen to Your Eyes. PB

Vintage Lighting Crossover Design

These c.1935 vintage wall sconce lighting fixtures, made by Lightolier, New York. show a strong leaning towards mid-century design yet they retain some of the art deco influence they evolved from.  As styles evolved and new design classes were born (or older ones revisited), you often see this type of cross-over in design. A few come to mind: from Victorian to Art Nouveau, from Art Nouveau to Arts & Crafts, from Arts & Crafts to Art Deco, from Art Deco to Mid-Century.  Most often, styles did not just pop onto the design scene and from that date onward only that style was in vogue. No, there was a transition period where design elements from one style were incorporated into design elements of the new blossoming style. And as it is today, there was resistance to the new style, there were champions of the new style, and finally there was general acceptance of the new style as manufacturers sought to fill the new demand as quickly and inexpensively as possible. That meant incorporating some of the old tried and true design elements into the new style.
This is one reason vintage lighting fixtures classified as "Art Deco" go so seamlessly into Bungalows and "Craftsman" style homes.
Be aware of the different styles in antique lighting, just don't be too hungup on trying to classify them into a box as sometimes that results in just that: a box, with not too much light or life.

Listen to Your Eyes. PB

Antique vintage chrome 2 bulb bath kithcen light fixture (1)

Antique vintage chrome 2 bulb bath kithcen light fixture (1)
Originally uploaded by VintageLights.com

Dating to the 1930s, this is a prime example of the craftsmanship and design expertise of that era. Not many antique lighting fixtures retain there luster, as this vintage light fixture does, after so many years. Especially for a bathroom or kitchen light fixture. Note the close up image of the back where all the small details on the display board are reflected on the fixture. It is difficult to tell where the light fixture ends and the display board begins it is so reflective. A light coat of wax will keep the chrome shining for another century.
The "clam broth" (color of the glass) shade has only small chip on its back side, never seen as it is under the retaining bracket. Chip is shown in a close up.
This vintage lighting fixture holds 2 light bulbs, handling up to 75 watts each.
This antique bath light fixture is 12 5/8 inches wide and projects 5 7/8 inches

http://www.vintagelights.com/product/vintage-bathroom-wall-sconce-lighting-fixture-original-chrome-mirror-finish-2-bulb.html


Listen to Your Eyes.

Larger in light

A request we receive with some regularity is for vintage light fixtures in a larger size, for an oversized home entryway, or apartment building lobby, or for the restoration of an old wonderful brick building being brought back to life.

These larger antique lighting fixtures, typically used in commercial buildings, are pretty scarce out there in the salvage & reuse industry.  Vintage commercial light fixtures in general are found less frequently than their smaller residential cousins.  There are several reasons for this.  First, there were simply not as many commercial light fixtures made as residential light fixtures, or another way to say this is that there were not as many commercial buildings as homes built back then.  Then, over the years, as the commercial building interiors were remodeled, there was less (read almost none) interest in salvaging anything.  Time, budget, deadlines, profit, codes, etc. all worked against taking the time to salvage these beauties.  Plus, the sheer size of these old light fixtures make it more difficult to handle, transport, and store them.  In our buying travels we occasionally have to pass on some wonderful old vintage fixtures simply due to their size.  But when we can, we love to bring them back to the shop and bring them back to life.  Like the time I drove 13 horsehair and plaster slag glass fixtures back from Baltimore to Seattle.  They were out of an old movie theater and the largest, at 24" in diameter, was my front seat companion for the next 5 days.

Indeed these large vintage fixtures are scarce, but when you can find one, it makes the entire area come alive. 

The one pictured above, at 28" across, would beautifully light up any dining room in any home.

Listen to Your Eyes.

http://www.vintagelights.com/

Questions are keys to open doors.

We are a big fan of questions. With over 1,000 fixtures in our warehouse waiting patiently to be restored, we can often match a particular style or look a client has in mind even though it is not seen on our website (VintageLights.com).

This week a new customer called to say she was quite unaware of the huge selection offered by original vintage lighting. This was her first time purchasing authentic antique lighting (instead of replicas). She explained what she was looking for to light 2 bathrooms, kitchen and entry, and hoped to find vintage original fixtures to fulfil her vision. We sent her some images and she did find 2 pairs of sconces with complimentary ceiling fixtures for both bathrooms. Some of the vintage fixtures she picked out were not seen on the website (we are still working on posting the kitchen and entryway fixtures). The above image of 3 vintage light fixtures were some of the images sent to her to choose from. None of the above are seen on our website

So if you have an idea of what you would like in the way of original vintage lighting fixtures and you do not see what you are after on the website, please ask. We love to tell.

Listen to Your Eyes. PB

Why vintage lighting anyway???

Sometimes, someone not familiar with vintage lighting stumbles onto our website, becomes enthralled with what they see, and begins asking us some questions. Without coming right out and asking it, they are curious: Why vintage lighting anyway?

Here we go:
Vintage lighting provides a level of design and beauty almost never seen in contemporary mass produced fixtures, even though in their day these vintage lighting fixtures were mass produced. However during this time (1900 - 1920) designers were often schooled in Europe studying design theory for several years. Style, beauty, proportion, and functionality were all just as important as profitability back then because ALL manufacturers of that time were competing on all these levels, not just what can be produced most cheaply as seen today.

Vintage lighting offers more variety and more uniqueness than most of today's fixtures, as evidenced by over 10,000 images of antique lights seen in the old catalogs on our website.

Vintage lighting has a nostalgia which cannot be easily duplicated. And as a collectible, the value of vintage lighting continues to increase as the supply slowly decreases and the demand continues to climb.

The above fixture, made of solid Bronze, will be avaible soon on our website, www.VintageLights.com

Arts & Crafts Marrage with Antique Lighting

One of our guiding mottos here at VintageLights.com is this quote from William Morris, which we try to get back to at least once a month here in the blog:

"Have nothing in your home you know not to be useful and believe to be beautiful."
Simple and elegant.

The above image of this vintage light fixture brought this thought back to me this morning. Just looking at this antique light fixture by itself, a former church fixture and a somewhat Tudor style pattern on the shade, some imagination would be necessary to see it in an Arts & Crafts setting. And here it is, very comfortable visually frolicking with the 1896 inspired Arts & Crafts print. Even the crown fitter atop the antique fixture does not seem out of place here, with its pattern reversed along the bottom of the shade, it adds some tranquility to the scene. The muted colors of the vintage shade, orange and blue set in a tan colored lattice, is almost as pleasing as a rose covered trellis out in the garden. The custard colored shade would bathe the entire room with a very pleasing warm light, especially delightful on some stained wood furniture or woodwork as the tan pattern resembles an open beam structure.

Useful and beautiful.

We have another way of keeping his message in our forefront:

Listen to Your eyes. PB

Vintage Lighting 101 - Shades

Last week I was listening to a webinar trying to understand some of the basics of social media. The moderators were very knowledgeable about the subject, bypassing some of the very basics one needs to understand, use, and appreciate social media, and going straight to the topic of discussion. They had erroneously assumed everyone had the same basic understanding of social media.
Mea culpa, mea culpa.
In an email conversation just 3 days ago I suddenly realized I had made the same mistake, assuming that the customer had that same basic understanding of vintage lighting shades. I now also realize that there was no reason to assume the customer had that information and remembered there was a time not so long ago that I too was in need of some education, (Thanks again, Billy).
The conversation was about the size of the "fitter" end of the shade. They were measuring the inside of the opening and I was measuring the outside of the opening. The fitter end of a shade is where the shade fits into, well, a fitter.
The above image shows where to measure the fitter end of a shade. The most common sizes of the fitter end of shades are; 2 1/4", 3 1/4", 4", and 6". The usual way a shade of this type is described is simply "it has a 2 1/4" fitter".

There are other sizes, but these account for over 95% of shades of this type.

So if there is anything unclear in any of my blogs, flickr or facebook descriptions please bring it to my attention, I appreciate it.

Listen to Your Eyes

Historical Reasearch Library at VintageLights.com

I was reading another vintage style home magazine the other day while waiting at the grocery store and I came across an article which suggested ways to research your vintage home. The article suggested 4 books from Amazon to start with. People, we have 2 of the 4 available to view for free in our "Old Catalogue" section of our website. We have the scanned original catalogs, not the reproductions Amazon is selling. In addition to the old home catalogues, there are Interior Design Catalogues, Lawn and Garden Catalogues, and a Paint Color Catalogue by Sherwin Williams, just to name a few of the gems you will find. We continually search for additonal vintage catalogues to add to the collection. Some of the upcoming catalogues include a 1914 Construction Details magazine and a 1900 hardware catalogue from Paris.

Our main focus is vintage and antique lighting but our interest and passion includes all aspects of the home building trade of the early 1900s.

Listen to Your Eyes. PB

www.VintageLights.com

Good news for Vintage Lighting

Yesterday one of our regulars dropped by as he was making his sales rounds across the Southwest.  Although his territory includes a couple of the hardest hit areas of the country, Las Vegas and Phoenix, as well as one of the weakest industries, add-ons to new truck sales, he reported signs of a slowly improving economy.  The seasonal uptick in sales is returning, he reports.  Good news.
As summer get into full swing, the sunshine brings a subtle yet noticeable optimism and overall feeling of well being.  There is no substitute to being outdoors and in the sunshine.  And studies have shown the full spectrum light from the sun is responsible for this effect.  Recent advances in lighting technology have produced full spectrum fluorescent bulbs, which are now widely available.  Now you can get the positive effects of full spectrum lighting along with an energy efficient light bulb in your vintage and antique lighting.  Good news.
Oh yeah, he did pick up another vintage sconce as his remodeling of his Spanish Revival home continues.  Good news.

Listen to Your Eyes.  PB

http://www.vintagelights.com/

Spanish Revival style vintage lighting

One of the most popular design styles of vintage lighting we see at VintageLights.com continues to be Spanish Revival style and its cousins, Mediterranean, Spanish Colonial, Storybook, and Mission, just to name a few.  The style was made popular by the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego.  This style was most popular in the United States from 1915 through the 30s and had been a comfortable living design for decades in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. 

In vintage lighting, hand wrought iron or cast metal designed to look like wrought iron are hallmarks of this style, as are the flowing intricate filigree of shade covers and backplates.  Heavy looking, in either iron or aluminum, hanging on a chain or wall mounted, these fixtures can have a masculine, solid presence.  Animal figures and / or heads also adorn these fixtures, with dragons a popular motif.

They are also a welcomed sight in many bungalows, especially bungalows with plaster or stucco exterior walls.

The storybook style is the most fanciful and whimsical of them all.  Charming to no end.   

That's the end.

Listen to Your Eyes.  PB

VintageLights.com

Listen to your Mother

Yesterday we received this question via twitter from a member at VandM.com. They referenced a NY Times article of 6/7

Are vintage light bulbs on the way out? I'm a fan but I seem to see them everywhere. http//www.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/nyregion/08bulb.html
Yesterday at 12:52pm via twitterfeed.

We answered: We have certainly noticed a drop in popularity of these exposed, energy guzzling, filament bulbs. They seem to be going the way of the Hummer. With the introduction of full-spectrum CFLs, most of the complaints about color distortion from fluorescent bulbs have faded.
What has increased in popularity are the vintage light fixtures with "slip shades". With these antique light fixtures since the bulb is covered, one can use CFLs and still get that nostalgic sense (that only authentic vintage fixtures provide) along with energy savings.

Listen to Your Eyes (and your mother, Earth)

http://VintageLights.com

The Bomb of Vintage Lighting

Wow, I can't top that last post. Thanks Linda!

One of my favorite things to harp on (its ok, I've had my coffee) is someone, usually designers or editors saying with an air of authority, that this type or that type of antique light fixture is the only one which looks appropriate in a certain style of home and all other vintage light fixtures will look out of place. I would not have a problem with them if they said these are guidelines, but they are usually stated as rules.

One of my main reasons to disagree with this type of generalization is first and foremost it is just an opinion. Everybody is unique with a different sense of style and nostalgia. And this is what is important surrounding decisions concerning ones home environment. Yes I know this is an opinion as well and I make the effort to let that be known.

Yet another reason I disagree with them is that back in the day of vintage lighting styles did not change overnight. It took years for the transition of Art Nouveau to Arts & Crafts to Art Deco to occur. And there was certainly an overlap of styles when the styles were changing. This is evident in the vintage lighting catalogs we have one our website for everyone to see, free. Heck there was even a time when gas and electric was combined in the same antique light fixture. And I am sure there were designers back then saying these fire hazards were the explosive new style.



Listen to Your Eyes. PB



http://vintagelights.com/

Vintage kitchen lighting

The previous blog (vintage bathroom tiles) prompted these thoughts on vintage kitchen light fixtures from one who had been there. The above image is a kitchen in a 1908 Craftsman we remodeled in 2006. It was a rectangle shaped room, boxed in on one side by the outside wall and on the other by the stairway. It was part of a complete first floor remodel, from the studs out. What you cannot see in the image is the left wall, a full bank of cabinets above the counter.

The main concern was how to get enough light to all the work areas without using can lights or under counter lights. Both, I believe, are completely out of place in any vintage home kitchen. There are so many other solutions using vintage lighting to get enough light where it is needed.

The shape of this room and playing with different options dictated the use of the 5 vintage lights shown. Three in the main area, one in the pantry at the rear and one over the sink. We chose the vintage milk glass shades for their unique shape and for the look of the light they emit. The light from the 3 main flush mount fixtures is diffuse enough so there are virtually no shadows in the work areas, except in the sink. Dropping a shade over the sink resolved this problem. Another benefit of using these vintage fixtures was the matching smaller vintage shade we used over the sink. Several styles of vintage shades had this smaller shade just for this purpose. All in all a very comfortable vintage kitchen to work in and one which retains the vintage feel about it.

The curved kitchen entry matched the curve of the doors on the other side of the living room. You can just barely see the kitchen opening in the far right of the image below.

Listen to Your Eyes. PB



http://VintageLights.com

Color of Vintage Bathroom Tiles

The intention of all my blogs and articles is twofold. First and foremost is to give the reader “permission” to think, choose, and be comfortable with their own decisions concerning purchase, placement, and installation of vintage lighting (or any other item) in their home. Secondly is to give the reader useful information.

Somehow an “only this way is correct” authoritative mentality seems to be the norm, freezing people from making their own decisions for fear of doing it wrong. We should be giving credence to our own unique preferences and each of us should be guided by our intuition and sense of style. The whole arts & crafts movement was based on individuals wanting choice from the mass-produced “this is what you need (want)” commercialism. We need to give this permission back to the individual. Art Deco can be beautifully combined with Arts & Crafts or Spanish Revival or Victorian. This is exactly what one would have seen in the common home of the early 20th Century. Sure, using a specific term to describe a specific item gives one the air of authority, but as the bumper sticker says: Question Authority. And not just the kind with a badge.

It is nice to learn what style our home is, but not to then be tied to whatever design is designated to that style. This was brought home in a recent blog I read where someone asked what color of white tile would be most appropriate in the 1" hex tile for a period bathroom. (Not what color of tile, but what color of white tile). This seemingly had stopped the homeowner from moving forward. I answered whatever shade of white you like, AND trust your decision. I recently completed a “period” bath using new 1" white hex floor tile. In the bath I also installed a vintage claw-foot tub, 2 vintage white pedestal sinks (from different manufacturers, 16 inches apart), 3 vintage white porcelain wall sconces and 2 antique white porcelain ceiling fixtures with milk glass shades. All of the colors of white were original, appropriate AND none of them exactly matched. The bathroom is fabulous.

Point being, there were a lot of choices back then, as now, and any of them would be a correct choice.

Listen to Your Eyes. PB

http://VintageLights.com

If You Have To Ask...

Another question we get on occasion and one we recently received was if the multi-colors on a vintage fixture was original. Many vintage light fixtures had multi- colored highlights, often referred to as polychrome or polychromatic, from the Greek words meaning multi color. Monochrome is used to describe a fixture of a single color.

Some vintage fixtures have retained their polychrome finish very nicely, muted shades of reds, greens, and blues. This coloration was never meant to be the focus on the fixture, but rather the "accessory" to it. These colors were almost always pastel, and usually applied by air brush; the colors faded nicely into the background. Thinking of Linda's earrings here.

What we are seeing out there today are people trying to repaint the colors or simply repainting the entire fixture in colors, totally absent of any consideration of what the original fixture looked like. In the catalogue section of our website there are numerous fixtures with a polychrome finish, all in muted shades of color, all appropriate for the fixture and time. None of the examples have brightly painted reds, greens or blues, much less the bright purples, hot pink, or vibrant yellows some are using to re-paint vintage fixtures.

So yes, multi-colors were original to certain vintage fixtures, as in the images above, and they will look right when you see them. If you have to ask, then you know the answer.

Listen to Your Eyes. PB

http://VintageLights.com

Baked Light

The newest addition to our website is a pair of 1920s solid bronze wall sconces. What is rather unusual about these is their original shades are made of Bakelite.

http://vintagelights.com/product/1/solid-bronze-pair-of-vintage-wall-sconces-with-original-bakelite-shades.html

Bakelite was a forerunner to plastic and was developed near the turn of the last century. Dr. Baekland established the General Bakelite Company in 1910, to supply the rapidly growing demand for a plastic type product.

We occasionally see bakelite used in various parts of vintage lighting fixtures and even less frequently we see bakelite shades. Bakelite has a beautiful glow and was manufactured in some great colors, like tortoise shell, wood grain, and bright solid colors which makes it a very collectible item in today's vintage marketplace. One drawback of the bakelite shades was their tendency to turn black where the heat of the light bulb was most intense. With every increase in light bulb wattage this problem increased. You can see the blackened centers of the shades in the above image. The dark discoloration is much more noticeable when the light bulb is off.

Vintage bakelite is very collectible and an easy, non-destructive test to determine if an object is true bakelite or just plastic made to look like bakelite is to wet a q-tip with 409 cleaner and gently rub in a discreet place on the piece. True bakelite will discolor the q-tip in a yellow to brown color. Plastic will not discolor the q-tip.

Listen to Your Eyes. PB

http://VintageLights.com

It Takes a Keen Eye...

The above image illustrates what a typical fixture looks like before and after we get our hands on it. Before we purchase any fixture, such as the one on the left, we have to know a few things about it.
First and foremost, is it appealing to me and would others find it appealing, what should it look like when refinished, what would it take to get it into condition to sell, what would the projected selling price be, can the wiring be replaced and if so, what it would take to restore the wiring to a safe working condition, what pieces, if any, are missing, who would the target purchaser be, does anything about it look out of place, are its proportion and scale correct? Then a quick check for damage and anything that is hidden or concealed. And the final question, is this something we can make a profit on or in lieu of profit, is there any other compelling reason to purchase it? Typical market research, but it must be done almost instantly, with authority, and with an absolute belief that I will make the right choice to pursue it or not.
I used to have to think about all these questions; now it is second nature. I can decide if I am interested in a used fixture in seconds, How? I listen to my eyes and I trust that my brain knows the answer. It does.

Listen to Your Eyes. PB

www.VintageLights.com