Collecting and Restoring Home Oil Lamps

Wall Lamps

Single

Double

Table Lamps

Hanging Lamps

I bought my first oil lamp when I was 22 for my Edwardian (1920's) brick built home in Nottingham - I still have it a British made 3/4" round wick nickel plated table lamp with original frosted glass globe in working order. Since then I have collected over 50 more for my home - 2 or more in every room - some can still run on oil and are in working order, some are more decorative, others have been electrified with low energy and feature bulbs (flickering flame) for daily use.

Wall Lamps

I try and buy wall lamp brackets and features with original marks and patterns - these are crisper and more defined than the later run reproductions which are typically cast off originals and so lose definitions and pattern marks. (Some original manufacturers had pattern made and also ran first / second impression castings as these items came in and out of fashion / interest again and again).

I have several original casting, glass font and reflector wall lamps that range in age from 1880 to 1920.

I've been electrifying these with No2 burner kits with single switch and bulb holder and double switch and bulb holders - depending on transparency and decorative features of the fonts. Ive also taken to adding differnet shapes, sizes and styles of crystals to the brackets - suing copper wire to make hanging loops, decorative spacers and even hold the wire in place from electrification.

Table Lamps

Hanging Lamps