Collectible Lamp Parts
Collectors buy antique and vintage lamps to illuminate their homes because of the feeling of history they provide. Collectible lamps can add style to any decor. An antique lamp supply company can provide the replacement lamp parts needed to update your treasures.
What parts does a lamp have?Lamp parts can vary from style to style. There are lots of accessories, finials, hardware, and replacement parts available from antique lamp supply houses. Most antique lamps can be retrofitted to operate using a light socket. There are lamp parts that will fit antique brass fixtures with missing elements. Look for these basic parts when making improvements:
- Arm: Lamp arms create separation between lights in a chandelier or between a lamp socket and base. This part can be bent into a shape or simply be a straight tube.
- Canopy and chain: Canopy plates are used for pendants, sconces, and wall-mounted lighting. Chains allow chandeliers to be hung at various lengths.
- Cluster: A cluster operates as a junction point for a lamp arm. A socket may be part of a cluster.
- Loader and base: Bases allow the fixture to sit flat on a surface and can be found in cast brass, iron, wood, steel, and acrylic. A loader is a weight attached to a lamp base to ensure stability.
- Socket: The socket holds the light bulb. Fixtures can have more than one socket.
- Shade: A shade fits over the light source and protects the eye from the brightness of the bulb. The shade can also diffuse and direct the light coming from the lamp.
Changing the shape and material of a lamp shade is a fast, easy way to update any antique lighting fixture. Cloth and paper are typically used to make shades, but you can also find brass or glass covers used on older lamps. Multiple socket arrangements may require more than one shade and additional parts.
Antique lamp supply resources will usually stock lamp parts made specifically for shades, including brass finials, harps, and shade holders. Consider adding a cover in one of these styles:
- Bell.
- Cylinder.
- Drum.
- Empire.
- Square.
Antique lighting fixtures can be found in a wide assortment of designs. Table, floor, ceiling, and wall-mounted lighting are all collectible. Original lamp parts may be missing from some items. Antique lamp supply dealers often have substitute brass lamp parts and socket sets that will fit collectibles. Lamps do not have to be antiques to be collectibles. Here are some time periods that vintage and antique lamp supply and lighting collectors focus on.
- Art Nouveau: This era is dated 1880 to 1910 and overlaps the Victorian era. Louis Comfort Tiffany was one of the lighting artisans from this era.
- Mid-Century: Items made from 1933 to 1965 fall into this group of collectibles. Lighting from this time period utilizes brass and other metals mixed with glass, plastic, wood, and fiberglass.
- Victorian: Lighting made between 1840 and 1901 is classified as Victorian and labeled antique. Glass oil lamps and candelabras are collected from this style era.