Posted 7 years ago
jcoe2004
(18 items)
I am not sure what this is. It came in a lot of lighting and lamp stuff, so I'm assuming that's what it was for. It's pretty big, about a foot and a half tall. I think it may go to some sort of gas burner, but any help would be greatly appreciated!! The metal rod in the middle moves/turns. The first pic is sideways, sorry. Thanks!!!
That's exactly what it is -- an old natural gas open-flame hanging light fixture. The 4 things at its bottom are the gas jets, the little 'arm thing' betwixt them probably a control valve (missing pull chains?) and there woulda been some style of glass globe under the 'chimney' top. Probably dates from the 1800's. NICE PIECE! :-)
Thank you!
I cannot find anything or another like it. Do you have any other info that would make it searchable? TIA!!
Jessica
Hi Jessica, I'm sorry but I don't have any actual info to help you search/date it. I also spent a little while looking around the internets for "colonial gas lights" (and various derivations of search strings) also without finding anything looking quite like it -- nonetheless I remain certain that's what it *is*. :-)
Its threaded end (RH side, 1st pic) would have attached to the gas supply pipe inside the ceiling. (hidden behind a bezel/bracket of some sort) Its missing glass globe would have hung in the middle below the center 'chimney' section (held by the 3 horizontal screws) above the gas jets at the bottom, two of the four which look to still have some sorta little 'flame spreading' (?) gadget still extant. And the little lever-arm-thing at its bottom is probably a control valve that woulda served as a 'light dimmer' to turn up/down the gas supply to the jets, in the same way that modern stove burners work.
Way back before Mr. Edison (and his contemporaries) invented the electric light...well, I suppose "gas lights" must have somehow been a slight (and maybe not truly any more dangerous?) alternative to candles and oil lamps...?? <eeek>