Is my antique M.S.L.C. floor lamp designed by Gilbert Rohde?

13 years ago

Yesterday, I found this unique antique brass lamp at an estate sale. It's very heavy! I thought it had some very unique design elements to it. I've never really seen one like it. It is stamped M.S.L.C. on the bottom which stands for Mutual Sunset Lamp Company. This company was based out of Brooklyn NY. I've learned that the famous furniture and industrial designer, Gilbert Rohde, designed lamps for M.S.L.C. I haven't been able to find very many of his lamp designs that he did for M.S.L.C. but the ones that I have found, seem to carry some similar characteristics to this one. I was hoping someone here is more familiar with this designer or lamp company, that could help me determining if it's a Gilbert Rohde designed lamp. Or maybe someone knows of an expert in this field? I do think it's beautiful regardless of whether Rohde designed it or not. Thanks for your input in advance!! The last photo is a confirmed Gilbert Rohde designed S.M.L.C. lamp.

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Comments (6)

Ideefixe
13 years ago
Maybe. It doesn't look much like his more famous, Deco-styled designs.

Was the shade original? I'd guess it was made as a torchiere. I've linked to a Worthpoint entry that you've no doubt already seen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Worthpoint
palimpsest
13 years ago
The glass shade looks like a replacement. They still make them in that particular shape.

The original glass shades would more likely have been some kind of a bowl shape with a flared top. They made floor lamps that were meant to carry a cloth shade just as your example with the shade sitting on the bowl at least into the end of the 1950s. They often held a mogul base light bulb which is 39mm across the threads unstead of 26mm.
bepeace
13 years ago
Gorgeous lamp - great find!
caseyandmelody
Original Author
13 years ago
I agree that this particular lamp looks somewhat different from Rohde's more familiar deco styled designs, but I can also see some striking similarities. When I first saw this particular lamp, its (for lack of a better term) "stacked finials" at the base of the lamp, rise over 21" off the ground. I've never seen anything quite like it before. It's very unusual! I also think the saturn like design element near the top of the lamp is very deco/industrial age looking. The only other similarly designed lamp that I've ever seen like this one, is the one that I posted at the bottom. It's a M.S.L.C. lamp designed by Gilbert Rohde. I have also learned from a source that in the 30's, Gilbert Rohde designed over 35 different lamps for Mutual Sunset Lamp Co., but many were undocumented. I have a sneaking suspicion that this is one of them. I have seen other M.S.L.C. lamps but they are very "traditional" looking. Unlike this one. Maybe this is going to be one for the history detectives! ;)
Joshua Brown
4 years ago
I have two of the exact same things except (weird) mine aren't lamps. It's just the bottom part of the lamp with the stone and the brass and on top is a brass finial. ON the bottom it is marked MSLC 3288. Any ideas on that????
My3dogs ME zone 5A
4 years ago
Check out this post from last year inquiring about the same MSLC 3288 lamps.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5411113/mslc-3288-lamp-classic-forgettable-or-meh

A few other sites that mention the same style number -

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/early-20th-green-onyx-stone-mutual-495579802

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-nouveau-table-lamp-light-1829282309