anyone an expert on 1920's lighting

17 years ago

We have a 1920's tudor style brick house, and were wondering if the wall sconces in our dining room are original. There are 2 fixtures, each with 2 candle lights. The candle portion is a cardboard tube.

Picture:

Picture with candle removed:

Picture of both fixtures and chandeleir in dining room (which is original)

any info would be appreciated! We are considering replacing them, but would be less likely to do so if they are original. BTW- we are also painting over the faux finish some day.

thanks

Mike

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

aprilwhirlwind
17 years ago
They look 1920's to me, especially with the little pull chain on each light.
User
17 years ago
I say original, too...and agree with kennebunker about the pull chains.
Related Discussions
Stained Glass for 1920's Tudor
Q
Comments (2)
1920's Tudor stained glass was often clear rectangles of water glass or bevels in a brick pattern (or other pattern) with a colored line border and an armorial central motif (a shield/coat of arms design) It could get a little plainer, or a lot more ornate depending on what the budget was at the time. A lot of English period stained glass found on ebay represents this style. Principal style is mostly clear glass "tiles" with the lead giving a pattern. You can get more privacy by giving the glass more character. You could also use earlier glass panes decorated in the "silver stain" method. They have a very medieval air to them, but are rare today, and not everybody's taste/budget. Casey
...See More
Will this furniture work in my 1920's house?
Q
Comments (26)
Hi Lady_West, I frequent other forums normally, but I noticed your post when signing onto gardenweb today. I wanted to tell you that I love your bungalow and, fwiw, add some suggestions/thoughts on choosing dining tables and chairs :-) Of the choices, I like the table in #4 best. It looks like Tell City furniture to me. My Mom has Tell City in a little different style and she always says the wood is called "hard rock" maple. It has mellowed to rich brown tones and I guess it just looks like home to me :-) Also, about the table in choice #4, the long sides look like they are drop leaf. The bench could go along the side with 2 chairs on the other side and one at each end. That is probably the length it will be, I doubt it has leafs. You will want to measure your dining space to be confident of the max size of extended table that will fit in your dining room. Consider getting around with the chairs in place as well as if there is room for a hutch buffet, if that is included. With a "real" wood dining table, the top is not Formica and will stain and ring (over time) from drink glasses and spills that are not immediately wiped up. Heated dishes can mar the finish as well. That is why most ladies of the "dining room" era would have used table pads under the table cloth, to protect the table surface. For daily use, a Formica top table, while not as pretty, is more scratch resistant, durable and practical for young active families. When viewing the chairs in person, test them for joint strength. Put one hand on the back and the other on the seat, using downward pressure wiggle the chair. You can tell very quickly if they are sturdy or worn out. Also, sit in them and if the back "gives" or makes a pop or crack noise, beware. Long tables, like the one in choice #5, tend to sag in the middle without support. Vintage 5 leg kitchen tables had the support for extra length. A 5 leg kitchen table is another style you might consider in your new home. Also, if the leaves of the table are stored in a closet or under a bed, they can become a different color hue from the unprotected everyday used table. Be sure to examine it all together in daylight, so you can see more clearly what you are getting. You might consider waiting to buy wood dining furniture set until you uncover and refinish your wood floors. If the wood furniture matches the floor too closely, they blend in and their beauty is lost. Congrats on beginning a new chapter in your life. Take your time, purchase what you love and it will feel comfortable and look like your home. Have fun, Deb
...See More
1920's & 30's Industrial Lighting?
Q
Comments (1)
Love this look! Here are a few options for more affordable industrial mini pendants and sconces: http://www.lamps.com/quoizel-eve1508pn-eastvale-palladian-bronze-mini-pendanthttp://www.lamps.com/uttermost-21959-madera-1-light-mini-pendant http://www.lamps.com/sonneman-4291-25-satin-black-chelsea-pendant http://www.lamps.com/yardley-collection-1-light-mini-pendant-in-oil-rubbed-bronze http://www.lamps.com/hudson-valley-lighting-garden-city-1-light-wall-sconce-323172 http://www.lamps.com/hudson-valley-lighting-pelham-1-light-wall-sconce http://www.lamps.com/hudson-valley-stanley-14-inch-1-light-wall-sconce If you have any questions or would like more suggestions, feel free to email me directly at amy@lamps.com. Thanks! Amy
...See More
MC lights in 1920's rental bath?
Q
Comments (22)
Never heard of that code (distance from toilet to vanity) but what we are proposing is actually giving more room. We are moving the vanity away from the toilet about 1 inch. That is the most we can due to the plumbing. It's not a tight space around the toilet. I've used it myself many times. The wall cabinet was put up and left by a tenant and we will probably just leave it. We took out the medicine cabinet and will put up a large mirror. We will fill any little gaps with the cabinet with trim and extend the counter.
...See More
mikend
Original Author
17 years ago
thanks for the input. I suspect that the candle part was not originally a cardboard tube?

Though I like them, my wife thinks they look "too Midieval." So if we replace them (i.e. I lose), we would want to stick to 1920s fixtures.

- Mike
vjrnts
17 years ago
Mike, tell your lovely wife that I will come over and speak sternly to her if she takes them down... and then I will take them off your hands and put them in my dining room!

Vicki
User
17 years ago
You can get new tubes that are made to look old. The vintage style are nowhere near so ghastly white. Vintage lighting stores would be able to help or ebay could be a source, too.

If the fixtures are destined to go, I'd be happy to take them off your hands, too.
superbad
17 years ago
There's nothing wrong with changing them if you don't like them, but don't give them away. Put them in a box in the attic or crawlspace with a note explaining where they go. You never know what might be popular 100 years from now, and they belong to the house more than they belong to you. :)

That pendant is fantastic by the way (not so much the sconces).
bud_wi
17 years ago
The wiring is insulated with cloth rather than plastic coating with makes them old but does not prove that they are the original. I think an electrician would be able to tell from the wiring.

I agree to change them if you do not like them but to keep them stored with the house.

When I bought my home, I found a sconce stored in the basement that exactly matched the hanging chandelier in the dining room. It was really ugly - just like the chandelier.

Now I have the chendelier stored next to it in the basement. LOL. Maybe the next owner will discover them and be delighted when they "restore" the home.
mikend
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for all the replies. Fortunately this is a low priority on our list of things to do (behind bathroom remodel, repairing the ceiling damaged by ice damming, painting the kitchen ceiling with blueberry soda stains on it ... don't ask). So, we have time to think about it. If we do replace them, I think we would keep it in the basement with other odds and ends that we found that certainly had a place in the house at one time (old door knobs, light fixture globes, etc). Sorry vjrnts and paster.
vjrnts
17 years ago
OK, but I'm going to be sulky. I live right across the street, it's almost the same place!

If you decide to box them up and leave them in the basement, store with them a picture of them in situ and a diagram, too.
cooperbailey
17 years ago
Not an expert at all. but also have 1920s house, when you remove them from the wall, that gas lights were originally there. Thats what we found in our house. Sue
mikend
Original Author
17 years ago
vjrnts. We'll be sure to document everything if we ever decide to change them (and don't sneak in and steal them!)

Cooper- I think we've always had electric lights in this house. We do have some original lights including the one in the dining room (in the picture).

thanks for all of the comments

anyone an expert on 1920's lighting

Comments (11)

aprilwhirlwind

User

Related Discussions

mikend
Original Author

vjrnts

User

superbad

bud_wi

mikend
Original Author

vjrnts

cooperbailey

mikend
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

anyone an expert on 1920's lighting

Comments (11)

Related Discussions

mikendOriginal Author

mikendOriginal Author

mikendOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mikend
Original Author

mikend
Original Author

mikend
Original Author