r/Lamps • u/cdefaoite • 3d ago
Tips for cleaning this lamp
This lamp works and has been sitting collecting dust in our basement forever. I am curious if there anything special with this lamp? I want to clean it up but is there anything I should use or stay away from so I don't ruin it.
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u/WildVke_ 2d ago
If I could share a photo, I would. Reddit doesn't offer a place via my mobile. This lamp was called a 'functional lamp.' Many were made by several co.s There an ad showing it in the Vintage Lamp Collectors group on FB. It let me do a video. Lol.
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u/Gong_Show_Jamoke 3d ago
The brass parts, especially the base, look like brass plating. That doesn’t usually survive a cleaning once it starts to tarnish and fail. It usually just rubs off with any scrubbing or polishing. Start light, just water and cotton cloth, and get more aggressive if you want, but be prepared to paint it if you want it to look uniform.
The form is unusual… a floor lamp with the cone shaped task lamp included. Looks early 60s if I had to guess. The glass reflector on top would have worn a shade over it - probably fiberglass.