Antique Model 6 ALADDIN Hanging Oil Lamp, Ca. 1915-16

Antique Aladdin Model 6 Hanging Oil Lamp, Circa 1915. About 13 3/4 wide overall. Lamp itself about 20" tall to top of chimney and about 14 1/2" tall to top of shade.

Lamp about 8 tall to top of burner. Font about 6 1/2 in diameter at widest point. Shade about 12 in diameter at widest point.

The history of Aladdin Lamps (as detailed by Bill Courter in his book "Aladdin the Magic Name in Lamps") has been traced back to about 1907 with the importation of German incandescent mantle burners into the U. These incandescent mantle burners produced an extremely bright light especially when compared to conventional Kerosene lamp burners.

It was not, however, until 1908 that the Mantle Lamp Company of America was formed and until 1909 that the company offered its first lamp bearing the name "Aladdin". The Model 1 Aladdin lamp line consisted of three table lamp models, two hanging lamp models, a wall-mounted lamp and an oil pot lamp. The Aladdin lamps were in fact manufactured for The Mantle Lamp Company by Plume & Atwood, the giant Connecticut company that specialized in, and more or less dominated, the manufacture of metal lamps and metal lamp parts. Over the next few years, improvements were made in the design of the lamps (including the burners and mantles) and several new models were introduced while the older models were phased out. It appears that model numbers were incremented annually, even if the changes from the previous model were only cosmetic.

However, beginning in about 1915, because of the war in Europe, a major change took place as German made parts were phased out and replaced by all American made parts. In 1915, The Mantle Lamp Company was awarded a gold medal at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco; their Model 6 Aladdin Lamp was declared to be "the best Kerosene lamp in the world". The company was quick to exploit this award in their advertising and marketing and to remind customers of this honor, they stamped the dates "1915-16" on the wick adjusting wheel of the Model 6 lamp.

We've read that this was the only model of the Aladdin lamp to have the dates stamped on the wick wheels. And a model 5 font. The burner on this lamp has been non-destructively electrified; that is an electric socket, with wiring and a bulb, has simply been inserted into the center tube of the burner. This insertion did not damage any of the existing parts; the electric socket can easily be removed from the lamp and just as easily replaced if one wishes to do so. We're not sure how complete the burner is.

It appears to be missing a flame spreader and, of course, a mantle; we're not sure how the mantle would have attached to the burner. Although there is a tubular wick in this lamp, the wick adjusting wheel is not adjusting it and we can't see how it is supposed to adjust the wick.

The adjusting wheel turns freely but it does not appear to be connected to anything that would touch or move the wick. The white milk glass shade is original to the lamp, and the frosted glass chimney has some ware and may not be an authentic Aladdin chimney.

By the time this lamp was made, The Mantle Lamp Co. Was contracting with independent glass houses in the U. To make their shades and chimneys. Overall this lamp is in great condition, and the metal, if one desires, could stand to be cleaned and polished.

There are also some small chips, on the top edge of the white milk glass shade. They do not show when the shade is secured in its mounting bracket above the lamp.

Again this lamp is an antique and will have ware, please look at photos you will see a good idea of what your getting, a great lamp that needs some cleaning and polishing, or leave it I think it looks as it should, and has its own beauty. The item "Antique Model 6 ALADDIN Hanging Oil Lamp, Ca. 1915-16" is in sale since Sunday, February 28, 2016. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Lamps, Lighting\Lamps\ Non-Electric\Kerosene".

The seller is "jtl_estatefinds" and is located in Lemon Grove, California. This item can be shipped to United States.

• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States