L.169

A typical British pillar lamp made of brass sheet with a central draft burner by the Scottish producer Young. It is pictured in Young catalogue of 1906.

Even if it looks like a normal, boring British pillar lamp at first glance, this lamp is actually something extraordinary, because it bears a specially created dedication plaque with the inscription: " Presented to Mr. & Mrs. William Bird on the occasion of their Golden Wedding from his class & old scholars. April 4th 1927". This not only dates the lamp (which is extremely rare), but also specifies it as a gift to a teacher and thus decorates it with a story. The fact that I was the only bidder for the lamp and was therefore able to buy it very cheaply is probably because other collectors did not want a lamp with a dedication plaque. For me, however, this is a great increase in value, because it makes this lamp something unique. Otherwise it would be a boring lamp like thousands of others.

The burner also proves to be something unusual; it is not a Duplex burner, but a round burner with central draft by Young, who founded one of the oldest kerosene/paraffin burner and lamp companies in Britain. I quote from www.oldcopper.org: "Young's Paraffin Light & Mineral Oil Co., 13 Bothwell Street, Glasgow and New Spring Street, Birmingham. Lamps and lamp burners.  Dr James Young started the first plant to produce paraffin (kerosene) from shale for oil lamps in Britain in 1848."

The pressed glass shade is much younger than the lamp. It is more likely to be from the 1950-1960's. Despite a certain similarity to Paris shades, it cannot be compared to them, because the lower part of the shade is also made of milk glass and not of transparent glass like the Paris shades.

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Glass chimney and tulip shade.

Cleaning and repairs:
Not necessary.

Lamp body:
Base of stepped sheet brass, square, 13.2 x 13.2 cm, Ø 188 mm. A dedication plaque with date is attached to the base. In the base a weight of cast iron, marked: 2512.
Round column of vertically ribbed sheet brass.
Font of unadorned sheet brass, Ø 157 mm, removable. Extra oil filler.

Burner:
16’’’ center-draft burner of Young, Birmingham und Glasgow, fixed with the globe holder.
Wick knob marked: Young's Central Drought 16''' Court. Black glass inlay.
Original flame disc of type hat-on-sieve-tube.
Round wick Ø 25 mm.

Glass chimney:
15’’’ Matador chimney. Height 261 mm, Ø fitter 53 mm.
Marked: Belgica D.F.

Shade and shade holder:
British tulip shade, white milk glass colourless overlay, embossed pressed glass, upper rim wavy and slightly coloured pink; 4 medallions with printed flowers. Probably mid 20th century.
Height 203 mm, Ø fitter 101 and bulge 226 mm.
100 mm globe holder for 15’’’ burners; integral part of the burner.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 38.6 cm, total height with chimney 68.1 cm.
Total weight 3240 g.