Sandwich Glass: A Technical Book for CollectorsWilliams, Lenore Wheeler
History
Sandwich Glass: A Technical Book for Collectors
Williams, Lenore Wheeler
Boston and Sandwich Glass Company; Glassware -- Collectors and collecting
The earliest type was in clear glass. Later more elaborate and costly
forms were introduced and a blown receptacle for the oil fused to a
molded base often had a beautiful blown center section. The patterns in
these old lamps are endless. Etched and cut tops were imported and fused
to Sandwich bases at the factory. The Victorian era brought in a demand
for two color combinations and opaque glass lamps. We stop at the
introduction of marble bases as they are very much later and the bowls
for many of these lamps were foreign. No attempt has been made to
illustrate all specimens, a few of the more decorative being chosen.
With the early lamps no shade was used and the flickering flame of the
spirit tubes gave little better light than candles but it saved the
housewife the endless dipping and molding. The wick had to be constantly
picked through the small opening at the side of the burner as it burned
down. The fluid used was camphine. This is proof alone that no shade was
used. The glass shades came into use with the “boudoir burner” which
took a flat wick through a round opening patented by E. M. & Company in
1865. At this time people fitted the earlier lamp with these burners and
substituted a new fluid for the earlier whale oil and camphine. We
illustrate a very rare lamp of clear white glass with Dolphin standard
in the Dolphin group.
Type 1. New England Glass Works, blown top, molded four sided base
column at end, baskets of fruit on each side, lions’ heads at
corners, a very early and rare lamp.
Type 2. Fluted overlaid molded howl, four sided base with two steps
with fluted Colonial Column joining base and bowl. Colors
similar to Type 6.
Type 3. Shows a lamp of rare design. The quality of the glass in the
fragile scrolled base with lion’s claw feet is very early, and
the frosted blown bowl of great delicacy. Lamps are seldom found
of this type which closely resembles the flatware of the first
period.
Type 4. Was a costlier product. It was fused in three parts and
included a bulbous blown center section and cutting was often
introduced on the bowl.
Type 5. The most popular inexpensive lamp of the period was a molded
lamp in various designs, clear glass hearts, lyres, diamonds,
bulls eye, and hob nail patterns appealing to the public. The
molds were heavily grouved and fine stippling was avoided
because this caused greater tendency to breakage which was
undesirable in anything containing inflammable material.
Type 6. Fluted over laid molded bowl, six sided base, clear white.
a. Blue.
b. Green.
c. Purple.
d. Vaselene.
e. Opalescent white.
f. Opalescent blue top, white base.
g. Opalescent jade green top, white base.
h. All jade green, very rare.
i. Opalescent white top, blue base.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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