Can I plug an old lamp in straight away?

Never plug a vintage light fitting directly into a modern wall socket without having it checked first. Old wiring often features rubber or fabric insulation that turns brittle and flakes away inside the brass stem. A qualified electrician can rewire the piece using period-appropriate braided flex that meets current safety standards.

I have inherited a large brass oil lamp with a glass chimney and a round shade, but the wick won't turn up when I twist the little wheel on the side.

The cotton wick has likely dried out and fused to the inside of the burner tube. Decades of old oil can turn into a sticky residue that locks the brass cogs in place. You can unscrew the burner unit from the font and soak it in warm soapy water to dissolve the hardened oil. Once the old wick is removed, the winding gears usually turn freely again.

How do you clean tarnished brass lamps?

Dust the base with a soft dry cloth first. Avoid liquid metal polishes if the surface retains any original lacquer. Bare brass takes a mild polishing wad. Many collectors prefer to leave the dark patination untouched.

Why does my green glass desk lamp shade have a layer of bright white glass on the inside rather than just being green all the way through?

Glassmakers call this technique cased glass. They blow a gather of white glass first and then dip it into molten green glass to fuse the two layers together. The inner white layer acts as a reflector to push maximum light down onto your reading surface. If the shade was solid green glass, the light on the desk would have a harsh tint that tires the eyes.

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Art Nouveau Lamps

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Antique lamps span everything from brass oil burners to glass-shaded electric desk lights, designed originally to bring concentrated light to reading tables and dark corners before modern overhead lighting took over.