Lamp stand
United States or England
1875-1940
Measurements
6-1/2 in x 6-3/8 in (dia)
Materials
Tinned sheet iron
Credit Line
Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of H. Rodney Sharp
Accession Number
1959.3891
Condition Notes
The lamp stand is in very good, seemingly unused, condition.
Provenance
Ex coll. H. Rodney Sharp
Comments
This complex stand has a circular "galleried" base with a vertical shaft composed of two parts, the upper of which is slightly tapered tube and the lower is cone-shaped. A strap handle is attached to the upright. Opposite the handle, a narrow strut supports the front of a tear-shaped platform with a crimped border. The shape of this part of the stand suggests that it was made for a betty lamp. However, betty lamps were among the least expensive lighting sources, burning animal fats, which emitted poor light and excessive smoke and smells. The incongruity of an expensive stand for a cheap light source suggests this stand was not made when betty lamps were generally used.
