Posted 12 years ago
oldbvrgal
(1 item)
My husband brought home two of these beautiful lamps that he found. I automatically fell in love with them, and would love to know more about them. They look expensive but I am having trouble finding anything on them. Anyone who can help me out here with age, value or history on these I would greatly appreciate it! They have a 3 way switch that allows the main light or the night light (the bottom lights up!!) or both at the same time. I do not really have room or the desire for the entire lamp...I want to just use the bottom globe part. However, I don't want to go taking something it apart if it is more than just a lamp.
What a great lamp. I am just getting into lamps and light fixtures and there seems to be very little info online about vintage electric lamps. If you find out what this is, please post again.
Hi! How interesting that your husband fell in love with the lamps because my husband did the same thing! He found two lamps that are almost identical to these, but someone had changed out the bases and put cheap "wish-I-were-brass" bases. The research I have done suggests that these lamps were made by Carl Falkenstein. Falkenstein was from Philadelphia and made lamps from the 40's through the 60's. He uses a lot of this bronze clay/sludge material to decorate the opalescent art glass lamps. It looks like early on, he made the "Gone With The Wind" style lamps that were popular in the late 40's. We also have these enormous lamp shades that are original to them. When altogether, the lamp just screams 60's.
If you wouldn't mind, could you look for markings on the underside of the base? There might be a number and the name Falkenstein. I'm very interested to learn what number your lamps have on them. Since we don't have the original bases, we don't know exactly which lamps we have.
I'm glad to find another friend who enjoys vintage mid-century luxury!
Lisa
I purchased this very same lamp at an auction last night, but no lamp shade. I have been looking on line to see if I could find one just to see what type of shade I need to buy. The curious thing is, the complete bottom and the globe is exactly like the one in the picture, but the top I guess you call it neck that holds the shade does not have the fancy display in your picture, it is just a straight neck with the same details as your picture, but straight. The bottom of the lamp base which does not feel like brass to me, could be I guess, says accurate casting company lamps and the number is 4450 but does not have the name Faulkenstein anywhere on the base underside. I only paid 10.00 for the lamp base without the shade and I am now thinking maybe I got a deal or something. I really am not someone who resales what I buy. I buy for different looks in my home and I am just curious at this time, if one of the above posts could post a picture of the shade that goes with this type of lamp?
Accurate Casting Co. was not the manufacturer of these lamps - they only produced the metal parts. The company - located in Offshore China (Taiwan) - was established 1972 and already taken over and closed between 1985 and 1986. In those few years they (next to other things) supplied three larger lamp manufacturers in Taiwan which in turn supplied various US stores under different (store) brands.
U.S. import lamps were independently checked by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and received evaluation stickers (maximum wattage, etc.). Most of these stickers have by now fallen off or were removed.
Safety note: customers should of course hold in mind that *all* vintage electric devices represent a potential safety hazard. Damaged insulation due to sharp cable duct endings or plain material fatigue may occur. Also hold in mind that the use of too strong bulbs may cause the globes to explode; the glass used at that time was not tempered!
I have 3 lamps with this design. I found out it was made by a man by the name of Carl Falkenstein. Your lamps look very much like mine.
My father worked @ Carl Falkenstein in the 50's thru the 70's. They were located in Philadelphia, PA. Aside from lamps, they made cast metal cherubs for the old ceiling fixtures & cast metal outlet & switch plates as well.
Hi there. I worked there Until they closed in the early 90s. By then Carl Jr was in charge. At that point they were not making assembled lamps just casting plating and painting. if I recall the castings all had his name on the bottom somewhere. They closed in the early 90s and the building burnt down sometime after that. If memory serves Carl DID keep the molds and perhaps reopened in some capacity in North NJ
I own the land on which the Falkenstein lamp factory was located at 2717 N. Howard Street in Kensington. Does anyone that worked there have a photo of the building? It would be interesting to see.
Howardlehighhope. I think ive seen a pic of Hope st that shows the building. either on the facebook Kensington page or the Philly historic pics site. I can tell you it was a 4 story brick and wood building and the yard was on the Hope st side(was tough for trucks backing in)
I HAVE TWO OF THIS LAMP THEY ARE DIFFERENT STYLES AND SIZE
Late to the party, but, maybe I can add something for future readers. Accurate Castings would likely have been the maker of the metal parts. The glass parts would have been made by various lamp makers, including Tiffany Lighting, which is not the same as Tiffany and Company. These lamps list for up to $100 on various sites, including eBay.com. But, in reality, they probably sell for $35 to $50. They are pretty, decorative and of moderate quality. But, they were made by the tens of thousands and aren't considered rare or particularly special.
I have a pair of 4 arm candle stick holders with crystal prisms. The marking is Accurate Cast, is that the same company as Accurate Castings? I can’t find any information. Thank you
Here is what happened to falkenstein lamp company ..not a fire epa FBI hazardous waste hit place with almost a million dollars in fines and closed it down drove his son into bankruptcy ...he gave up the building his dad left him ..interesting reading I've only heard the fake fire sale stuff ...I put it all in a file from the epa declassified records
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xneiJpPAy9XuTjo18