(A) Let's start with a probably French-inspired American design, which means IT ROCKS! Cast iron, made to look like wrought iron (oh, how clever we Americans!). So who needs to spend his time pounding red-hot iron when castings can be made? The problem is that they were almost never, with this ONE exception, well-designed. Maybe the designer of this one visited the 1925 Paris Exposition! Frankly, this particular lamp is one of the all-time Art Deco beauties from America. It's got balance, lots of subtle design touches which propel it Heavenward, and "panache." There, I said it! Oh, I forgot: verve. It's about 22 inches tall to the top of the finial. I haven't said a word about the eight-sided mica shade, have I? One word: KILLER! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(B) Seventeen inches high and about 13 wide, this Moderne table lamp grabs the award for "most compelling." Sleek, no-nonsense lines, top quality ingredients (solid brass throughout, and freshly chrome plated). The ultimate desk lamp! It's rare enough, but this example is in virtually perfect condition! This lamp was made by the revered Faries Company. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

 

(C) I've got a pair of these rocket lamps, on their solid brass stands, with custom "outer space" shades (I told the artist I wanted something that evoked the Milky Way!). They're 17 1/2 tall. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(D) Most of my lamps have a story, but this one... OY!! Can you stand it, I've had it for over 20 years! Huh? Wuzzup wit dat? It's white metal, and the finish was tortured, so I chrome-plated it... and then, of course, started to rewire it. BUT the wire wouldn't go through the stem. WHAT??!!! I tried everything -- and finally resorted to The Experts, my secret metal magicians. All were stumped! So, onto the sidelines it went, and every five years or so I'd find a new metal magician and plead my case. HELP!! Finally, the verdict was: "Hey, Dude, this thing never was hollow, it never was meant to have a wire passed through it." Duh, I surrender. So, I've finally put it together and you can see that the wire is strapped to the back of the curved arm. Then again, and I know this is getting a bit winded (pant, pant!), but THIS FREAKING LAMP IS GORGEOUS, so who cares?!! Why do you think I didn't hurl it in the dust bin lo those 20 years ago?!! It's just under 15 inches tall. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

 

(E) Awwwww... perched on their black glass base, smooching and cooing at each other, no doubt; about 10 1/2 inches of l-o-v-e. All glass, fitted with a bulb inside, they make a compelling night-light. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(F) A positively smashing pair of table torchieres of high quality clear glass (possibly of crystal content). They stand 15 1/2 inches tall and are about 9 inches across the top. The bases are brass-plated white metal and I'll be replating them soon. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

  

(G) Of silver-plated white metal with a painted glass shade, this Frankart-styled lady lamp dates from about 1928. 16 inches tall. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(H) Yes, it's all my fault; I did it! Obviously, you won't be carrying this purse toooo far from the house... Desperate for amusement, I thought I'd offer this as a "sex lamp" for the bedroom -- you know, "when the purse is lit, tonight's the night!?" Fortunately propriety got the better of me, so here I offer it to you as a room heater for those cold winter nights. It's about 12 inches high, and the lid is nicely carved (it's clear plastic). How to price something that's priceless?! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

 

(I) Connecticut's Chase Copper and Brass Company made a wide variety of table and other lamps, and this one is probably their standard bearer; they probably sold more of this than all the others combined! Beautiful, practical (the shade swivels), and sturdy, it epitomizes a company whose product kept it from being devoured in the jaws of the Depression. The holophane shade predates the lamp, of course; originally it had a paper shade, and there are probably two in existence, in museum vaults somewhere! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

 

(J) Sorry about the shade, which is new, which came to me with the lamp. I'll leave it up to you to chase down the perfect little vintage mica shade... The decorated white metal lamp bases has all the right Art Deco elements, and is very heavy and nicely cast. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(K) The Markel Company produced a variety of mixed finish, Moderne-design lamps, solid brass underneath copper and chrome plating. The copper was patinated to look like "English bronze," but the finish never stood up well to the ravages of sticky-fingered kids and other torturers. So, it's often polished (or replated) and lacquered, as in this instance. This shade swivels to allow just the right lighting angle for the work on your vintage Herman Miller desk. It's about 15 inches tall. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

(K1) Here's another example of a beautifully designed American Moderne desk or table lamp, also solid brass with copper and chrome plating. The shade swivels... be careful not to scorch your fingers (they didn't think of everything)! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

 

(L) Here's a nice tall Moderne desk lamp. The shade attaches to the top of a holophane shade which was made for the exact purpose, and the glass shade sits in a receptical on the top of the lamp base. The lamp is mostly made of solid brass, with a bronze patina, and it's about 20 inches tall. There's obviously some "weathering" involved, but it's a wonderfully functional and nicely proportioned American piece. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(M) Here's something pretty rare, indeed, a Steuben jade table lamp with its original fittings. It's about 27 inches tall with this fabric shade, which I think is actually its original shade! For a close-up, click here! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 
 

 

 

(Q) Show me a cuter pair of vanity lamps, go ahead!! They stand about 11 1/2 tall, mint condition (I've rechromed the various metal parts). (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

 

(R) Bronze with its original acid-etched patina in perfect condition (including socket and chain!); undoubtedly by Silver Crest. The bronze-plated overlay on the base is probably sterling, and the material behind the cutouts on the shade is mica. The lamp stands 9 1/2 inches high. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(S) How'd this glorious Czechoslovakian two-piece etched glass table lamp sneak into the "American lamps" department!!? Well, were they not made for export to the all-weathy US of A? Not that I want to start rewriting history any more than I am already! It's about a foot tall and you can see what delicious warmth emanates from its chubby little tummy. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(T) The face of American Modernism -- so sleek, so minimalist, so chrome! A six-inch tubular bulb illuminates whatever's behind the lamp (like the wall), silhouetting the front and creating more drama in your life than a partner ever could. Well, of a different sort, perhaps... (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(U) Such a sweet desk lamp! It's got a certain formal aspect about it, and that mica shade, with its team of horses and Wells Fargo stagecoach (except that it's the French version!), just completes it gloriously! The old patina on the base is in almost perfect condition. The metalwork has the quality of Bradley and Hubbard. The measurement to the top of the finial is 20 1/2; to the top of the shade, 15 1/2. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(V) This fantastic lamp graced my Jones Street digs lo those many years ago, and I've had it in storage ever since, perhaps (perhaps?) hoping to reclaim my youth (Rosebud, rosebud!!). Guess again, Jack! Anyhoo, now it's up for grabs, and it'll go fast. The white metal base has its original two-tone brass patina almost 100% intact, and the shade, though decimated by age, still retains its period flavor. The filmy fabric on top is toast, you'll want to replace it if you're good with a needle or can find someone who is. The shade is original to the lamp base, by the way, which is why it looks so great! It stands 23 1/2 inches tall to the top of the finial. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(W) A richly colored, wonderfully designed Steuben aurene shade completes this all-original, solid brass Ca. 1910 American ensemble. The base has an iron weight under the brass shell to give stability, and the shade swivels at the top of the holder and as you can see, the arm travels up and down on the stem. Typical 1910 American ingenuity! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(X) Lamp and magnifying mirror, combined in one ultra-neat package! The light reflects off the white glass, bathing your face in the most attractive soft light. (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(Y) Here's an American Art Deco ICON, a superb example of the 20's chinoiserie style, with its crackle-glass base on a replica of a carved stand (it's metal). The whole affair stands 24 1/2 inches high and the shade is 13 inches wide. As you can see, the mica shade's in near-mint condition; both sides are decorated the same.

WELL get a load of this -- you get to choose from two bases!! I've had this amber crackle glass base for a mere 20 years, waiting patiently to find the shade! Never did, had to buy the whole damned lamp!! Well, that's the kind of obsessive compulsive weirdo you're dealing with. And who profits from my whackiness? Y-O-U!!! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

 

(Z) American but, like Jackie Kennedy, in the French Style. A lovely gold patina, fanciful design elements, and the pillbox hat equivalent, those two hand-blown yellow opalescent shades. It stands 20 1/2 inches tall, and the shades swivel at bit, for your lighting pleasure! (e-mail Jack to start the conversation)

 

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