The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Thanks again, Bruce!

I found the brass wick cleaners here: http://www.aladdin-us.com/site/1627880/product/r111-1B.

However, the trouble is that now I'd like to add another lamp (or three) to our home.

Fran

clevelander wrote:

Valecnik wrote:

clevelander wrote:There must be some faulty gene to be a phonograph/gramophone collector.
I am in the UK and I,too, have Aladdin lamps as well as a fully functioning mains gas lighting system.
I am sure a phychiatrist would have a field-day!

Me thinks several pictures are in order!

I am away at my son's for a few days. If this thread is still going when I get back, I will oblige!.

Valecnik,
As promised a few (not very good) photos of some of my gas lights.

That's wonderful! I'm very envious....

My wife is on the board of directors of a very historic 1904 inn on the top of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, California (www.westpointinn.com). One of my favorite things about it is that it is still not electrified. The lighting is gas (as is the refrigerator).

However, the gas lights are only in the public areas of the inn, and are controlled very strictly by the resident innkeeper. The rooms which are rented to overnight guests have no light. It's extremely rustic; people have to hike in, and carry bed sheets and towels (comfortable beds and quilts are provided, however). But for lighting in the rooms they have to bring along their own battery-powered Coleman lamps (or similar). No candles or kerosene lamps are allowed, the risk of fire is too great.

Aside from battery lamps in the sleeping rooms it really is almost like time travel when you settle in to the small lobby or large members' lounge, each with big fireplace.

And-- there's a Victor XIV for entertainment. It's my job to keep it in running order. The cabinet is a little bit the worse for wear, but it still plays great.

Clevelander! The gaslights are sublime! Here are two of my non-functional brackets in the bedrooms. You can see the patented gas lighter on the one with no shade. If one turns the key it sparks like a Zippo lighter and ignites the gas. If there were any gas, that is so say.
JRT

So many interesting postings on this topic. It’s difficult to address every one. I’ve managed to comment on a few more….

phonogal wrote:OMG it really is a sickness. Here's a few of mine.

A few??? Really Phonogal, you have a very nice collection!

FloridaClay wrote:Well, first of all, these lamps do make a nice atmosphere for our period phonographs. I have two oil lamps, a nice brass double-wick one with a red cased-glass shade made in England I bought in Europe in the early 70s, but the one dearest to me is a very plain and ordinary clear glass one. Its shade is replaced (probably many times), but the base remains from the lamp that was on my great grandmother's kitchen table when she and my great grandfather first set up housekeeping together in 1891.

Clay

Nice Clay. I've also got a complete lamp handed down by one grandmother and two others, base only from the other grandmother. I got burners and chimneys for them when I was a kid. The complete one sees weekly use even now.

gramophone78 wrote:The real sad part about these lamps and any oil lamps is the market has just dropped. Because the ALco. is part of my families history....I will always like them. Just as my parents did in the 60's & 70's.
But now....it's different. Unless the lamp is a rare model or variation.....not a lot of $$$

It surely did. Anyone wanting to pick up a nice Aladdin (for example) can have one for less than they would have paid 20 years ago.




Amazing Clevelander! I too am envious. Your gas lights and the fixtures Rene posted earlier are just great. Clearly the passions of many here extend well beyond phonographs. Btw I noticed some interesting clocks too! Surely a topic for another O/T thread!

I have a couple of Alladin lamps a student lamp etc. but I understand the older style mantle is not available any more and you have to use the newer style with an adapter for the new style to fit. I use to use mine alot years ago foolishly thinking I was being frugle but that was when good quality kerosene was 35cents a gallon when it went up it was definetly cheaper to use electricity. and that is not including the time to trim the wick get the flame just right and even with that a mantle can get ruined very quickly by a stray spike of flame they could be slavaged if they weren't too badly coked up by turning down the flame and letting the build up burn off but still a project but what a lovely light and pleasant having the room lit by these lamps . My favorite was a floor standing piano lamp it was all brass very Antebellum in appearance original globe shade you could raise it from about 4 feet to about 6 feet by a latching mechanism extremly beautiful Sadly my ex has it along with a lot of my other antiques don't get me started I just use the lamps for looks now especially with cats around
Dwight

Since we have now moved to Gas Lamps I have some photos which are not the best, (scans from original film) that show some of the gas lamps I had when I lived in the city.

In most cases the gas lines were still in place an active. In a several places where I had to do some slight changes in rooms I added new lines. Most of the lamps were "Bat Wing" style lamps, burning a wide gas yellow flame. In some cases later I installed the gas mantle lamps by Welshbach, they had a pilot light an set of on/off pull chains so that they lit automatically when you pulled the chain for on and then went out when it was reversed. The thing I noticed about those mantle lamps which also occurs on the new type mantel wall lamps is that they produce a somewhat disagreeable odor compared to the bare flat flame light.

I see that in the corner of the living room newspaper photo the columbia 810 is showing somewhat.

Larry

Now that looks good...a very accurate restoration! The parlour in black and white would almost convince me that it was a period photo. The phono would be the big giveaway.

I'm very impressed. Beautiful home and the gas lighting really top it off.