They are lovely....likely they had glass shades like the ones below....but I would not think all the shades would be missing.
Frosted bulbs would soften the look a lot.
Linda c

If there is a metal cuff with about three screw holes there may have been glass shades with a 2-1/4" fitter. However, people were proud to have lighting with light bulbs, so they may have well been exposed. Early carbon bulbs were quite dim, so the created a softer light.

The finish may have always been gold or bronze gilt paint.

Look at Rejuvenation.com for similar fixtures.

They have bulbs like yours that look more like the center finial in the second picture. Instead of knobby it has the vertical stripey things instead. That would tie them into the fixture better I think but, the ones you have look fine too. Are you leaveing the fixture that color or have you considered changing it?

I agree with Linda. I own an arts/crafts 30s home in the nearby town. Two of the light fixtures have old fashioned, perfectly round dark pink frosted bulbs and were meant to be used without shades. The heavy frosting does all but eliminate the glare.

A small stash of them came with house when my parents bought it, and all are used up but one, now. My daughter was able to find a modern replacement for them, but the manufacturer has discontinued those specialty bulbs and they're not available now.

Please PLEASE do not think of painting the lovely brass on that old light fixture!!

Lindac,

Are you saying you don't think it has already been painted or coated with something already? I looks like it to me. Maybe a spray paint as it didn't get covered in some of the crevices. There's a different color there. I have old brass fixtures in my house and they don't look like that. It lacks the color and patina of old brass.

If the glare is still to much, consider adding dimmers to the switches that control the chandeliers.

Yeah....I think you are right... just looked at the close-up pictures...
What a shame!! Looks like someone sprayed it with gold paint rather than polish it!
Linda C

The Rejuvenation Lighting website says these fixtures may originally been painted with gilt paint (sold that way) even if they are brass underneath.

I am almost positive that your lamps are not brass but rather some type of white metal. Put a magnet on the lamp; iron/steel/white metal will attract the magnet, brass will not. On the other hand, brass was often painted over with a bronze paint which was more in keeping with the post-Eastlake/Arts and Crafts design and was much easier to maintain-lacquer often peeled near a heat source (light bulb).

Your chandeliers were probably not meant to have shades; oftimes the sole electrical outlet was the one in the ceiling and provided the only source of "electric light".

I collect these types of fixtures. They are very unlikely to be brass or painted brass but instead are probably a molded metal, either pot metal or cast iron.

They are not supposed to have shades but are wrong with the bulbs you're using. The most appropriate bulbs would be frosted gold like these:

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They come in two sizes. I would try the smaller size for your fixtures. The ones in the pictures above are the larger size (aside from the first pic, which is the smaller). Rejuvination makes them (they're available on their website)

Thanks for the site for the bulbs. Those are exactly the type of fixtures I have in my town house. And exactly the types of bulbs I have been hunting I use in those fixtures. I love the bare bulb look and it's a lot easier to deal with than a lot of frou frou chimneys and globes.

There is also a guy in Minnesota who makes them but I can't find that link (I think it's on another computer) but I've been happy with the rejuvination bulbs and they ship quickly. I tried a lot of different bulbs in mine and they just don't look like the gold bumps do. They're appropriately soft for the soft gold tone on the fixtures and really, the light they give off is lovely.

I have invested a small fortune in the dang things...We have 3 five light fixtures in the master bedroom alone LOL But in just a bit over a year I have to say that not one has burnt out yet :)

Old carbon bulbs and their new counterparts last much longer than tungsten bulbs.

I have a bunch of carbon bulbs from Rejuvenation that are 10-13 years old and they still work. I don't turn the fixtures on every day by a long shot, but they definitely have longevity nonetheless.

A friend of mine had a floor lamp with flower shaped bulbs from the 'teens and all the bulbs still worked, 90 years later.

We almost purchased a house with the most wonderful fireplace palimp...it was built in 1914 and the fireplace was vintage...lightbulbs behind a fake fire :) They were still using bulbs from the original order and had a case in the basement :)

The next town over to the one where I grew up at one time had a minor claim to fame -- The local firehouse was listed in the Guinness Book of Wrold Records as having the world's longest-running lightbulb. At that time, it was over 100 years old. Don't know if it's still running, but I can say with certainty -- They don't make 'em the way they used to!