REOPEN: ?Statue of Liberty Lamp?

85. REOPEN: ?Statue of Liberty Lamp? by John Ferrarone (jfphoto@tiac.net)
    Posted: Dec. 05, 1998 @ 21:52.
    Posted: Nov. 02, 1998 @ 17:56. What a wonderful service you provide! I have a tall glass lamp (18") of a womans' hand holding a torch. The hand has a rather pronounced ring on the ring finger and when I bought I assumed it was a type of wedding lamp. I doubt that now because it is a right hand which holds the torch. It is biscuit joined, with the hand holding the handle part molded, and the font, blown. The font has quite a bit of bubbles in the glass. The whole lamp is a light greenish colored glass. The collar is a #2 size (I think) and has a raised rib surrounding it. The threads do not mate up with any (american) burners that I own. The base of the lamp flairs out slightly and is seated in a cast iron decorative ,4 footed base joined by brass collar.The base appears to me as new. The lamp, old. However, they are such a well mated pair that I think they were manufactured to be together. I have asked a number of experts and received a number of answers, ranging from 'fake,repro and Czech, to extremely rare'. It caused a bit of a stink at a Rushlight Club Meeting. One common occurence has been that nearly all whom I have asked have asked me if I am willing to sell it (hmmm).I have been actively collecting lamps for 15 years and have never seen anything remotely like this. I think (hope) that I have something nice here. Any ideas on your end? Thanks for your help. I've been trying to get an answer for 4 years. John
    

• On Dec. 05, 1998 @ 21:54, Steve patterson (speterson@inficad.com) wrote:
  On Nov. 03, 1998 @ 16:26, Steve Peterson () wrote: I think I have seen something like what you described at an antique shop here in Arizona. The only difference would be that instead of glass, this was all brass; but just like you described: right hand, noticeable ring, (thick) orch handle, but the font was a removeable pot. Can you supply a picture so I can check and see if this is same "mold style" or just a same like lamp, but different. TIA - Steve
  
  
  
• On Dec. 05, 1998 @ 21:58, Fil Graff, Guild Secretary (fgraff@comcast.net) wrote:
  On Nov. 03, 1998 @ 20:57, Fil Graff wrote: John: Without a picture, I can't say for sure, but I recall seeing something fairly recently (memory like a sieve...could have been yesterday!) about the Statue of Liberty and such a lamp. The torch came to the US several years before the rest of the Statue, and I recall seeing a photo of a lamp made just like the hand holding the torch. As for the wedding ring, I don't think Miss Liberty was married! Might well be a new lamp, but usually there are LOTS of new lamps all at once. The crudeness of the glass was not typical of glass of the period, especially if it IS the Liberty Torch, and thus a commemorative item. :: Fil ::
  
  
  
• On Dec. 05, 1998 @ 22:09, Fil Graff, Guild Secretary (fgraff@comcast.net) wrote:
  Received several fine photos of the Hand lamp from John, and post the full lamp image below. There ARE other revealing photos if they are needed. Johns letter raised several questiona about specific features of the lamp.
  
  Posted is my answer to John (FYI):
  On the lamp...excellent photos, but there are just some things that don't hang together! You flag most of them: the collar (probably in "line" measure for a foreign burner) that doesn't fit (I'll add the collar itself with the outformed rib, rather than depressed); the strange attachment device that looks like a brass slip or cap connected to a piece of nipple with a nut...NOBODY built lamps that way, particularly if with a clear foot; the connector under the foot, a new slip or cap, again attached with a nipple and nut, and painted the same as the cast iron lamp base...all very suspicious; the hand itself...remember I said I thought it could be a Statue of Liberty commemorative, celebrating the arm, hand and torch that arrived in the US first. But the way the hand holds the stem/torch handle is all wrong. There is a pressed pattern glass pattern with a hand holding an ear of corn (I can't remember the name, nor did a quick look find it!) where the position of the hand is like this. But that glass was solid, this is mold-blown and hollow; font IS crappy glass, perhaps intentionally so, like some Mexican glass made full of seeds to fool the gullible Yankee into thinking it's OLD. I also suspect that the cast iron foot could be found in a catalogue today. I think that if the hand were real, the inside would have been painted, not left clear so the "guts" show. I also suspect (from a combination of all the other oddities) that the joint between the stem and font is GLUE, rather than a glass slip ("biscuit".) Black light might detect this. I haven't the vaguest idea what you have, but it is certainly suspicious! There are just too many things questionable! I wouldn't rent a safe deposit box to keep the lamp safe! Sorry to be so negative (but then I pretty much just repeated YOUR coments!) I think you have pretty well answered your own question. Hope you aren't too deep into this "rarity" (well, it MIGHT be rare; I've never seen one before!)