ARCHIVED Questions and Answers
Miller Juno
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Miller Juno Information by Fil Graff, Guild Secretary
Posted: Dec. 13, 1998 @ 12:25.
From: "The Leggos" [Our system
refused to accept this as a valid URL. Why???]
I was referred to you by Dennis Hearn, in respect to information on
the Juno Lamp. I must say I am quite impressed with the world of
lamp collecting which I have encountered thus far. Alas, I saw no
lamps such as I have and seem to be stymied in my search for their
origins. I am hoping that you may be able to point me in the right
direction so I may continue.
The lamps are brass and are 10 inches from base to top, they have a
2 3/4 inch diameter circular wick and are inscribed "the Juno
Lamp" U.S.A.
Are there collectors of these lamps? Can they be considered
valuable? Any information you could give me would be greatly
appreciated feel free to post this if you think it will help in my
search.
Thank you very much,
Leroy Leggo, 11, rue Prevel Gaspe, Quebec Canada
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On Dec. 13, 1998 @ 12:33, Fil Graff, Guild Secretary
wrote:
Leroy: From the height dimension you gave, it sounds like you
have a font and burner only (as for a hanging or bracket lamp.)
A table lamp would be 12 to 14" high, with a definate stem
and foot below the oilpot (font or fount). Juno was a prominent
brand of Edw. Miller and Co., and the burner style was used in
"The Tiny Juno", a night lamp (maybe 8" tall)
right up to the big store lamp font, which from the wick
diameter you likely have. The font et al was placed in a cast
ring steel frame, with either a "tin" shade for
commercial use, or a 14" diameter glass shade for more
dignified atmospheres. The lamp took a 4" bottom diameter
chimney.
These old brutes have a terrible tendency to smoke, so I
generally don't recommend use with original kerosene fuel
today. The wicks are practically impossible to find anyway. New
4" Chimneys are available.
If you scroll down to Question 77 on the Guild Q&A page,
you'll see an image of a Bradley and Hubbard store lamp.
That's pretty much what the Miller Juno looked like, and my
recommendations for the Miller "Juno" would be the
same...electrify it for use in a home!
As to "collectors of these lamps", lots of people use
them to decorate, but I don't know of any specific
collectors of store lamps. As to value...I don't do
appraisals here or anywhere, but if all you have are the fonts
and burners, they would be valuable only to restorers who would
use them to assemble complete lamps. Old frames turn up at
auction ocassionally, but don't bring a lot of $$ (US OR
Canadian!) The value in these artifacts is more as a decorator
item, and then with a complete lamp. There are new hanging lamp
frames available, and tin shades, so "complete" lamps
can be made. Not strictly correct as original, but functional
and decorative. I have a complete Juno store lamp in my shop;
electrified, of course, that I use as a light over the desk.
The BIG oil fonts are ideal for "touch"
electrification...an internal circuitry that allows the lamp to
be adjusted to 3 brightnesses by simply touching any metal
part. Maybe not always useful, but a neat bit of
"magic"!
:: Fil Graff ::
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On Dec. 13, 1998 @ 14:20, Dave Benson
wrote:
I have several "Juno" lamps and as Fil said they
go from nite lamps all the way to Store lamps, and as he
said they were manufactired by Edward Miller Co. in
Meriden, CT. The company incindently is still in business,
now known as Miller Brass. They roll thin copper base
metals such as brass and bronze along with Stainless Steel
for the elctronics industry. They are considered one of the
premier rerollers of today.
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On Dec. 14, 1998 @ 22:24, stan walker
wrote:
Leroy, I can't add much to what Dave & Fil have
already said. While a few of us love and prize the old
mammoth store lamps, it seems that most collectors
don't - probably because of their size - so buy them
only if you love them. I try to rescue any good complete
ones before they fall into the hands of the decorator
crowd. I have about a dozen - two of which are Junos.
Because they were used primarily in commercial
establishments and were so large - very few have survived
intact. I have a B&H that I burn that runs pretty well
but they suck a lot of fuel and smell the room up unless
you use real good lamp oil. As Fil said they are easily
electrified without drilling any holes or harming the
lamp if you want to use it on a daily basis in your home.
Remember to save the flame spreader in a safe place. Some
of the lamp reference books and catalog reprints have
some pictures and some limited info on these lamps.
Regards, Stan