L.089

I had bought two glass shades of different sizes for British reading lamps very cheaply at an auction in Great Britain. The small one I could use very well for the French office lamp by Peigniet-Changeur (L.057). For the larger shade I was looking for a larger English reading lamp (e.g. by Hinks). But they are very rare and correspondingly expensive. Then a dealer on eBay France offered this large reading lamp at a much more reasonable price.

This reading lamp looks quite new. It could even have been an electric lamp. But it is a regular kerosene/paraffin lamp without any indication of electrification. It is probably a British product from the middle of the 20th century, and in excellent condition (even the iron weight under the base has no rust at all). With the exception of the brass sheet font, the entire lamp is made of solid brass (even the base is made of cast brass). In the meantime, I have seen this font with the characteristic supporting arm on various British lamps; even once in a three-lamp version with three fonts and also once as an ordinary pillar lamp (hence my assumption that it originated in Great Britain). The collar on the font exists with both bayonet and threaded connections.

I exchanged the Kosmos burner of an unknown company that came with the lamp for a Reform burner by Hugo Schneider. I also got the very distinctive shade holder with 4 support arms and a holder hoop that is lipped outwards from France. This reading lamp is therefore a "European" lamp with parts from Great Britain, France and Germany.

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Burner, glass chimney, glass shade and shade holder.

Cleaning and repairs:
Not necessary.

Lamp body:
Base of stepped profiled, otherwise smooth cast brass, Ø 192 mm with an iron weight under the foot. The long support rod is screwed to the base.
The cast brass arm with the retaining ring for the font, rotatable and adjustable in height, is attached to the bar.
The drop-in font is made of profiled sheet brass, Ø 165 mm, removable.

Burner:
14’’’ Reform Kosmos burner of Hugo Schneider, Leipzig.
Wick knob marked: Kosmos Brenner (Logo of Hugo Schneider).
Flat wick 66 mm.

Glass chimney:
14’’’ Kalthoff chimney. Height 279 mm, Ø fitter 53 mm.
Marked: G.J. in Wappen + Reform-Cylinder 14'''.

Shade and shade holder:
Glass shade for British reading lamps (Rochester type; without fitter), white milk glass overlaid with dark green, flat upper rim.
Height 165 mm, Ø bottom 175 mm.
175 mm shade holder for 12’’’ to 20’’’ burners; with 4 support arms; to be fixed under the burner. Lipped hoop Ø 195 mm, inner ring Ø 40 / 63 mm.

Lamp dimensions:
Minimum height 61.5 cm (height of support bar), maximum height with chimney 103.8 cm. Total weight 5020 g.