Today we have a late 19th century “student lamp,” manufactured by the Manhattan Brass Co., New York. It is nickel-plated brass with a white glass shade; the most recent patent date (stamped on the base of the chimney holder) is 1879, but they were made and sold for many years, into the early 20th century. Unlike some other late Victorian oil lamps, with their painted shades and curlicued brass, the student lamp is not the most prepossessing of objects (unless you’re an oil lamp enthusiast, of course, and even then ours is not the finest example) – but that was part of its appeal, or rather, part of what made it so inexpensive and thus popular. Like the Argand lamp on which it is based, it was designed to cast 360 degrees of light, with no shadows; it also swivels, and is adjustable vertically, to bring the light closer to your book, your work, or wherever you need it. Ours should have a glass chimney (see catalog images below) but when it was electrified, they put in two lightbulbs; now the chimney (made unnecessary anyway) won’t fit.
The Manhattan Brass Company made the Perfection student lamps that can be found in these two 1890s catalogs. For a little more info on the company, click here.
One consequence of my job is that I notice the things in movies more than I used to: set dressing, background furniture, etcetera. Student lamps show up in a lot of old movies, perhaps because they were an easy way to signify an “old fashioned” home or office. I was inspired to post our student lamp today because I spotted one in the office of the Columbia Inn (Pine Tree, Vermont) during my annual viewing of “White Christmas.” So if you happen to watch the film this holiday season, keep your eye out for the student lamp that’s sitting on the desk next to the telephone. Amaze your friends with your powers of observation – and knowledge of antique lighting devices!
April 25, 2014 at 5:35 pm
I have a lamp identical to this that was of course also made by the Manhattan Brass Company. I was curious about it’s worth. Mine also was modified into an electric lamp which would devalue it as an antique I would think.
January 9, 2021 at 6:43 am
LOL! I too notice set details in movies, and sometimes get annoyed when something is wrong. In one scene from the wonderful film, “Age of Innocence”, set in the second half of the 19th century, you see an oil lamp on a table – with an electrical cord clearly visible under the tabletop. In other films set during the Civil War, you often see “Gone With the Wind” lamps – which did’t exist until after the Civil War.