ARCHIVED Questions and Answers
Ripley Lamps
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Ripley Lamps by Robert Douglass
Posted: October 22, 1998 @ 17:57.
Hello: I am a graduate student working on the historical archaeology of a site dating to the 1870s. The site is where some Chinese sawmill workers lived on the coast of California. I have identified a base fragment from a Ripley & Co. glass lamp (I have a copy of Thuro's "Oil Lamps"), but since this is the only piece so far, I have no idea what type of Ripley lamp it was. My question is this: what was the general economic scaling of Ripley lamps? In other words, were they, as a rule, cheap lamps or expensive ones? Did they have a range of products from cheap to expensive? Any help pointing me to more info on Ripley lamps would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Robert Douglass
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On October 25, 1998 @ 18:37, Fil Graff, Guild Secretary
wrote:
Robert: I don't pretend to be an expert on the early "flat wick" lamps, but it is my impression that Ripley lamps tended toward the high end for the time. They certainly do in today's market, particularly the favorite "Wedding lamp". Maybe one of the students of the era who are on the 'Net (Heinz?) could better answer your question. I'd best get out of the way, and let them! :: Fil ::