Antique Lamp Buyer's Guide: Identifying Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Lighting

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 142 pages
• Published by: Schiffer Publishing; 2 Rev Exp edition August 1999
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0764308548
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0764308543
• Book Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Weighs: 1.7 pounds

Product Description
Do you own an old lamp? Are you wondering what it is, how it was originally used, how you can make it better, or how much it is worth? If so, this book is written for you! Easy to read and complete with a newly revised price guide, this book answers many of the basic questions confronting lamp collectors, from "Where do I look for a manufacturer's signature?" to "How do I distinguish reproductions from originals?" Using a combination of color photographs and catalog illustrations, here is a wealth of information for anyone interested in buying or selling old lighting. Included also is a discussion of restoration issues like rewiring, practical uses for fixtures originally made for gas or oil, and restoring and protecting metal finishes.

About The Author
Nadja Maril is a historic lighting consultant from Annapolis, Maryland who also is the author of American Lighting 1840-1940, also available from Schiffer Publishing.

Reader Reviews
This book provides a good overview of vintage lamps (including both oil and electric) and some excellent photos of an assortment of these lamps. If you like lamps, it is a pleasant book to read because of the excellent photography and the fairly broad array of lamp styles found in the book. I was, however, disappointed that the author falls short in the basic research that collectors really need. The title says it is a guide for antique lamp buyers, but the book has not been particularly helpful to me when I have looked at buying different lamps. For example, look up Bradley & Hubbard's electric lamps in the index and it directs you to photos of a sconce made by B&H - no electric lamps. It tells you little about the company history, their identifying marks, the quality of their product, and which styles tend to be preferred. Despite these critical comments, this still is probably the best book on the market today. So, I would recommend this book to beginning collectors and people who just like to look at good pictures of lamps. For the more serious collector, you might want to wait until Nadja Maril or another author publishes a new and improved version.