Larger than Most RUBY HONEYCOMB Hall Oil Lamp

Hall lamps were very popular in late Victorian and Edwardian Homes. They were the first lighting fixtures that were lit when home owners returned home from a trip. By pulling on the handle below the base, pulleys would allow the shade to be pulled up while the small inner oil lamp would be accessed and lit. Once the lamp was lit and the handle released, the ball shade would return on the base and would offer a glowing albeit not bright light source in the hallways. The frames were made of many different metals such as brass, iron and as this one is, Copper. The shades came in many colors and designs with Ruby being very popular. The shades/globes were usually small but sometimes larger ones can be found. This large Ruby "Honeycomb" shade measures 10" in diameter and is quite special. A complete Hall Lamp would consist of, starting from the ceiling, a Ceiling Hook, the upper mechanism gallery (hides the chains/pulleys mechanism), a matching metal or milk glass smoke bell, the chains that attach to the globe's upper frame and lower base, the fancy upper frame (crown) to which the globe is attached by three screws, the small oil lamp font- sometimes equipped with a slender chimney and the matching underbase/platform that holds the lamp and the under-handle that allows the lamp to be opened and lit.
Nowadays, people electrify these lamps and re-use them to decorate the entranceways to their vintage Victorian homes. RER