A special thank you to those of you who were in a position to reply to my query about peg lamps. I have found them most helpful and as result of their help and some initial (subjective) observations I would like to share my thinking on this development, which until now, I was totally ignorant of. I stand to be corrected in these observations by those knowledgeable on this subject or have friends that can contribute to our knowledge. My comments are all related to those lamps designated as lace lamps and are oil fueled not candle illuminated.
1. Peg Top lamps: These are mostly blown in three separate pieces, though often two pieces. The key component is a glass oil font that has a peg (Tapered tail perhaps?) and can be fitted into and existing candlestick. To be part of a description of a lace lamp it will generally fit quite deeply into the candle stick leaving a comparatively short amount of the peg (taper) showing above the top of the candlestick. I would guess that in most cases it would not be much longer than 30 mm showing. >From my initial observations I think there is a fair representation of peg lamps that are part of the so called lace makers lamps that are around and or collected. Often it would seem to be present in those lamps that have a glass handle to the candlestick part of it. (Not always of course) The taller the lamp the more likely it is to have the peg oil font. The presence of the peg top oil font does not detract from the lamp and its implied use. I am beginning to think that it should be listed a feature of the lamp in any description of it that mat be written. 2. Whale Oil as the fuel As this is a chatty communication I can reveal my total ignorance of this being used as a fuel in historic times. It appears that until the invention of kerosene, âsayâ the mid 1800s, whale oil was the fuel used for most lighting and therefor used as a fuel for those oil fueled lace lamps before and after (until kerosene became more generally available in England... BTW it was invented by a Scotsman). I mention this as a matter of general interest for those, who like me, have never given it much thought; but also as there is a whole genre of âWhale Oil Lampsâ, that, by and large, can not be confused with those we call Lace Makers Lamps. Mostly they are quite different. I might offer the following as a preliminary conclusion: The objects that are described as Lace Makers lamps, may have a feature of a separate blown oil font (peg top) that is designed to fit into an existing candlestick. The presence of a peg top font in a lace makers lamps does not detract from its implied use or value, rather it adds a feature to it that should be recognized in any description of such lamps. Most oil fueled lace makers lamps used whale oil as the fuel until quite late in the 1800s until kerosene became more widely available. Note âKeroseneâ is generally called paraffin in the UK. Brian Ukulele Stuff: http://tiny.cc/mg5rhw Lace Bobbin articles: http://tinyurl.com/ce4q27l - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://community.webshots.com/user/arachne2003/albums/most-recent
