Books About Miniature Lamps and About Other Antique Lighting
Bidstracker identifies the miniature lamps it tracks and reports on by using five "standard" reference books. For your convenience and to assist you in using the Bidstracker database, these books are described below and links to sites at which you can purchase them are provided. When you use these links to purchase a book, Bidstracker will receive a modest commission from the bookseller. These commissions are used to offset the costs of maintaining Bidstracker and enable us to continue to offer Bidstracker as a free service to collectors and other interested parties. In addition to the 5 books used by Bidstracker, we have provided information on and links to purchase other books which we believe to be of value and use to antique lighting collectors.
The Five "Standard" Reference Books
|
Miniature
Lamps by Frank R. & Ruth E. Smith, 1968. If you only
have one book about miniature lamps, it should be this one. Over
75% of the lamps tracked in the Bidstracker database are shown in the
more than 625 photos of lamps (most in black and white) contained in
this book. In addition to the photos and descriptive information about
the lamps, the book contains about 30 pages of background information
and copies of some 14 relevant U.S. patents on lighting. Referred
to in Bidstracker as "S1", this book documents the most frequently seen
as well as some fairly rare antique miniature lamps. First
published in 1968,this book is now out of print and getting
increasingly hard to find. Used and sometimes new copies can
usually be found at Amazon. Click on the "Buy From Amazon.com"
link at the left to see about getting a copy. If it's not
available from Amazon, contact us at info@bidstracker.com
We try to keep a few copies on hand and if we have one
we'll quote you a price; alternatively we will direct you to another
source where you can get a copy.
|
|
Miniature Lamps II by Ruth E. Smith,
2000. Referred to
in the Bidstracker database as "S2", about 18% of the lamps in the
Bidstracker database are pictured in this book. Originally
published in 1992 and revised and expanded in 2000, the book provides
photos and descriptions of over 560 antique miniature oil
lamps. Fifty of these photos are in full color, the remainder in
black and white. While some of the lamps shown in this book are
found quite commonly, the great majority of the lamps pictured are
harder to find and, consequently, tend to be more valuable. In
addition to the photos of the lamps, the book has some 35 pages of
background information on miniature lamps (much of it a repeat of
information provided in the original "Miniature
Lamps" book). The revised Second Edition contains estimated
values (see the description of the "Price Guide" below for a word about
these "book" values) for each of the lamps as well as photos of about
20 lamps which were not in the 1992 edition. This book is a valuable
addition to the original and should be in every collector's
library. The book is still in print and is, generally, quite
available. Click on the "Buy From Amazon.com" link to the
left to order your copy.
|
|
Miniature Victorian Lamps by Marjorie
Hulsebus, 1996. Referred to in the Bidstracker database as
"H", this book contains over 440 full-color photographs miniature lamps
which are, by and large, much harder to find than those pictured in the
Smith books. The book also contains 2 very useful pages of photos
of newer, or reproduced, lamps. (A number of these newer
lamps are tracked in Bidstracker and some of them sell for surprisingly
high prices). The photos in this book are of excellent
quality. The descriptions of the lamps are concise and,
unfortunately, provide little historical background. An estimated value
is included for each of the lamps in this book. Note, however,
that this book was published in 1996 and the estimated values were
revised and republished in the 1998 "Price Guide" (see below).
Read the description of the "Price Guide" (below) for a word about
these "book" values. Despite the limited background information
and the outdated "values" this is an important book for
collectors. It is available both new and used. To order
this book, click on the "Buy From Amazon.com" link on the left.
|
|
Miniature Lamps of the Victorian Era
by Marjorie Hulsebus, 2004. This is the newest of the books about
Miniature Lamps, and was compile by Marjorie Hulsebus with the
assistance of a good number of miniature lamp collectors who
contributed photographs and descriptions of their previously unlisted
lamps to her as she was preparing the book. It is referred to in
Bidstracker as "H2"; note that only a few of the lamps included in this
book have shown up, so far, on eBay; many of the lamps in the
book are quite scarce, which is one reason they were not documented in
the earlier books. Like the 2nd and 3rd books, this one also
contains estimated values for the pictured lamps. In addition to
the more than 585 full color photographs of lamps which were not
covered in any of the 3 preceding books, this book contains additional
information on reproductions (which are becoming an increasing problem
for serious collectors of the antique lamps) and an interesting section
on miniature lamps from Europe (a topic not really dealt with in any of
the other books). This book is a valuable addition to the
literature of miniature antique lighting. Click on the "Buy From
Amazon.com" link at the left to order your copy.
|
|
Those Fascinating Little Lamps by
John F. Solverson, 1988. This book, published after both of
the Smith books first appeared (and before either of the Hulsebus
books) takes a somewhat different approach to the topic than any of the
other books. It does include a large number of color photographs
(and cross-references these to the 2 Smith books--most but not all of
the lamps in this book are covered in those books), but does not
attempt to be comprehensive. Rather it groups the lamps by
certain characteristics that Solverson felt were important (e.g. type
of glass, size of lamp, type of burner, stem lamps, size, etc.) and
provides multiple examples of each type. Perhaps more important,
Solverson provides some addition description of the key aspects of each
of the categories. Solverson's descriptive information provides
valuable insights and can be especially helpful to the beginning
collector. As indicated above, a small number of the lamps in
this book are not covered in the other books. To the degree that
these lamps have appeared on eBay, they are tracked in Bidstracker with
the identifier "So". Although now out-of-print, it is still
possible to obtain copies of this useful little (112 pages) book.
Click on the "Buy From Amazon.com" link at the left to get your copy.
|
Other Books of Interest to the Antique Lighting Collector
|
The Price Guide for Miniature Lamps
by Marjorie Hulsebus, 1998. This interesting little volume
intended as a "companion" to the 2 Smith books and the first Hulsebus
book, contains estimated values (as of 1998) for most of the lamps
shown in the those 3 books. For a number of the lamps, the values
are separately detailed for each of several variations of that lamp.
This breakdown by variation provides additional information on what
variations exist. That information was often left out of the
books when they were published or was later found to be
incomplete. Also provided for each lamp is an estimated
rating of its relative scarcity. The values in the book were
developed based on estimates provided by a panel of expert miniature
lamp collectors. For the first Smith and the first Hulsebus book,
the values published in this volume are the most current
available. The values contained within the second edition of the
second Smith book supercede the values published here. These
published "book" values can be very useful--especially as rough guides
to the values of rarely seen lamps and for purposes of valuing lamps
within a collection for insurance purposes. But these published
values may not represent true market values. In fact, it was the
discrepancy between these "book" values and what we saw both on eBay
and at live auctions we attended that led us to develop and publish
Bidstracker. We believe that the Bidstracker values give you a
better idea of the amount you can expect to pay (or receive) for a
given lamp. Because Bidstracker is being constantly updated, the
values it reports are not static and change over time as the market
changes. We also find the scarcity ratings in this book to be
helpful (but then again often find that lamps considered to be "Common"
in the book are hardly ever seen on eBay, while others rated as
"Scarce" show up quite frequently). Whatever the shortcomings of
published "book" values, every collector should have the most recent
published book values. Click on the "Buy From Amazon.com" link at
the left to get your copy of these 1998 values.
The Price Guide for Miniature Lamps by Marjorie Hulsebus, 2006. This is the newest edition of the book shown above. It contains revised prices based on expert judgment and experience. The availability ratings (Common, Scarce, Rare, etc.) have also been revised and some new information on judging lamp condition has been added along with definitions of terms commonly used to describe a lamp's condition (e.g, "bruise", "flea-bite", "flake"). |
The Lamp Collector's Guide, Second Edition by John Filson Graff, Jr., 2004. An extremely useful compendium of lots of information about non-electric lighting burners, wicks, chimneys and related lighting paraphernalia. As the introduction says, this book "is NOT a 'great read!' No lurid sex scenes and no plot at all". But it does have all kinds of interesting information and pictures of non-electric lighting hardware. The Lamp Collector's Guide is a must-have reference for the serious lighting collector/enthusiast. Published by the author as a spiral bound volume with clear plastic covers, it is available only by mail-order from:
The cost of the book is $30 plus $1.85 postage (via Media Mail) to anywhere in the U.S. for a total of $31.85. (Pennsylvania Residents: Please add $1.80--6%--sales tax). (Non-U.S. purchasers, contact the author for shipping costs). For further information, the author (Fil Graff) can be reached at fgraff@comcast.net. Be sure to let him know that you were referred to him and the Guide by Bidstracker (Dept BT).
|
|
|
The Evolution of the Night Lamp by
Ann Gilbert McDonald, 1979. This is the most scholarly of
the several books written about Night, or Miniature Oil lamps.
The author, McDonald, both a writer and an antique dealer, earned a
Ph.D. in Literature and her academic background adds greatly to the
value of this book. While it contains many photographs, both in
black and white and in color, the real attraction of the book is the
detailed history of the manufacturers of the lamps. Much valuable
information is given about when a particular lamp first appeared, where
it was advertised and what observers of the glass industry had to say
about it. Most of the lamps shown and discussed are cross
referenced to the first Smith book (which was the only miniature lamp
reference at the time this book was published). While McDonald
does not cover as many lamps as do the Smiths, she provides a great
deal more information on most of them. This is an oversize (11
1/2" x 8 3/4") and attractive volume. Copies can be hard to find
and can be quite expensive. But if you want to know more than the
other books provide about the history and background of miniature
lamps, it is a must have book. Click on the "Buy From
Amazon.com" link to obtain a copy at a reasonable price. If
Amazon does not have this book, contact us at info@bidstracker.com and we
may be able to direct to you to another source.
|
|
Oil Lamps: The Kerosene Era in North
America by Catherine M. V. Thuro, 1976. This is the first of
3 books on antique lighting by one of the most well-known and respected
authorities on the subject. The book concentrates on full-size
table lamps and most of the text and photos focus on the bases of the
lamps. There are, however, useful sections on accessories (e.g.
match holders), collars, burners, chimneys and even on kerosene
heating. Miniature lamps are given only passing mention (less
than 3 pages). While the coverage of lighting topics in this book
is broad emphasis is given to the various glass manufacturers and the
glass manufacturing process. This book is a fundamental reference
on kerosene lighting and belongs in every collector's library. To
get a copy, click on the "Buy From Amazon.com" link at the left.
|
|
Oil Lamps II: Glass Kerosene
Lamps by Catherine M. V. Thuro, 1994. Continuing where
Thuro's first book left off, this book continues to document the
development and manufacture of full-size glass table lamps. It
includes information on European lamps and lamp manufacturing and
includes more photographs of fancier, art glass lamps than in the first
book. Click on the link to the left to order this book from
Amazon.
|
Oil Lamps 3: Victorian Kerosene Lighting, 1860-1900, Vol. 3 |
Oil Lamps 3: Victorian Kerosene
Lighting 1860-1900 by Catherine M. V. Thuro, 2001. Oil lamps
are showcased in hundreds of black and white and color photographs
throughout these pages, with greater emphasis on diversity, trimmings,
and the probable placement in the home. Lighting fixtures such as hall,
hanging, or bracket lamps reveal that Victorian homeowners had an
astounding selection from which to choose. The many catalog
illustrations and advertisements serve to date lamps and perhaps
identify their manufacturer. This third volume is both a visual feast
and a wealth of information for readers and collectors. Clicking
on the link on the left will take you to Barnes & Noble from whom
this book is currently available.
|
|
New Light on Old Lamps by Larry
Freeman, 1968. This older book, now out-of-print but still
occasionally available, attempts to cover the full range of antique
lighting from early primitive lighting (Betty lamps, for example),
through early electric lighting and includes a chapter on "Glass Night
Lamps" by Edward A. Rushford. While the book has many
illustrations and some photographs of old lamps, all of the photographs
are in black and white and of less than stellar quality. The
value in the book is more from the background information than from the
photographs (as opposed to the 2 Smith and 2 Hulsebus books in which
the greater value is in the photographs rather than the textual
information). Although old, the book is still of interest to the
collector wishing to learn more about the subject. As always,
click on the link to the left to order this book.
|
|
Colonial and Early American Lighting
by Arthur Haywood, 1962. Another older book about a broad
range of antique lighting, this book was originally written in 1923 and
was updated, expanded and reprinted by Dover Publications in
1962. It is written in a somewhat informal narrative style with a
great deal of emphasis on the provenance of the specific lamps shown in
the various black and white photographs. Click on the "Buy From
Amazon.com" links above to obtain a copy, either used or new.
|
|
Classic Lanterns by Dennis Pearson,
1999. While lanterns are a collecting category unto
themselves, there is some overlap and common interest among lantern
collectors and miniature lamp collectors. A few "skater's"
lanterns or other smaller lanterns have found their way into the
miniature lamp books, and thus into the Bidstracker database. This
book is a photographic investigation of the history, companies, people,
places, uses of lanterns and of the lanterns themselves. Some of
the lanterns are so rare they have never been photographed before. Each
lantern is described in detail. The book includes over 200 photos and
illustrations (over 30 in color) and provides detailed restoration
information. Click on the link to the left to buy your copy.
|
|
Lanterns That Lit Our World by
Anthony Hobson, 1991. This little soft cover book has lots
of information about lanterns, how they work and how they were
made. The book dissects lanterns and discusses each of the key
parts. After the more general discussion, the book devotes
individual chapters to each of the major lantern manufacturers, shows
illustrations of their products and discusses their history.
|
|
Lanterns That Lit Our World Book Two by Anthony Hobson, 1997. In the world of antique lighting, it seems as if there are always more devices to document and more to say (as evidenced by the two Smith books, the two Hulsebus books and the three Thuro books). This second of the books on old lanterns by Anthony Hobson begins where the first book left off--with a discussion of additional types of lanterns, additional manufacturers and additional examples. |