Antique Banker's Lamp: Bank On This Lamp To Be Lovely!
When most people think of antique lamps, they think about ornate chandeliers and the soft glow of Victorian era oil lamps. While this is not a completely inaccurate image, it is certainly not the full picture. There is a wide variety of incandescent electric antique lamps that are valuable and lovely (and, possibly, still functional).
Some of the oldest, best and most valuable of all antique lamps are those produced by the Westinghouse family of companies. It is interesting to note that George Westinghouse was renowned as an inventor long before his name became the brand name for lighting and electronics. Few people realize that he is the most productive inventor ever, with credit for over four hundred patents. Many of Westinghouse's patents were original concepts that entirely altered the way the people worked and lived.
Westinghouse made many and varied contributions to modern life. One of the most enduring was his championing of alternating current (AC) rather than the direct current (DC) system of power transfer favored by Thomas Edison. Westinghouse favored the alternating current because AC was dramatically safer. Westinghouse realized that the home user (as opposed to inventors such as himself and Edison) would benefit from the safer mode of lighting. Westinghouse's victory over Edison in this particular aspect led to the electrification of American homes. Westinghouse put on elaborate displays (such as the illumination of the 1893 World's Fair) to demonstrate the advantages of alternating current over direct current.
One of the most lovely and most functional antique lamps that one can still find today is an antique bankers lamp. Most are constructed with a brass post with a green or blue glass shade. Green is the most common color seen in the many replica pieces that are available today, though blue was a common shade color a hundred years ago. Many have been subject to restoration in order to accommodate modern electric supply and lights (bulbs). Once renovated, these lamps can function as lighting fixtures indefinitely. These lamps were, indeed, lamps used by bankers, and many photos can be found that show them as a very prominent piece on the desks of bankers of the day. The unique shape of the shade and the color of the glass made them particularly well suited to illuminate the desk surface that they typically graced, because it directed the light specifically to the work surface of the bankers desk.
Because of their unique design and ability to cast light directly where it is needed, antique bankers lamps are still widely sought-after today by both collectors as well as students, executives and almost anyone who spends much time reading at their desk. This great demand helps to keep the price (valuation) high on these lamps -- an important fact for would-be collectors to keep in mind.
When looking for an antique bankers lamp, it is important to keep in mind whether it is important to you that the lamp be functional or simply decorative. If you want an antique bankers lamp that is functional, you will need to make sure that all the electrical wiring, switches and light sockets are still in safe operating condition. If the wiring is worn out or the switches are old and the light sockets are corroded, you will need to take your lamp to a qualified repair technician to have new wiring and hardware installed before it is used in your home. Keep in mind that discarding it's original wiring may lower your lamp's value, but if you intend to actually use your lamp you have no choice but to replace worn-out electrical components. Of course, if your antique bankers lamp will be used strictly for decorative purposes, it can still possess it's original wiring, even if it is now deteriorated and unsafe.
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