The Colours of Christmas

An old mirror

The love of the old continues ...

Throne

Maja's favourite.

Lights to impress....

Giant Fabergé egg

The swag lamp looks like it came straight from the Chateau Laurier lobby sometime in the 30-ies, but it is a Lightcraft 1963, California.
Amazing, it seems that Baroque has lived in the US well into the 20th century...

Contemporary ceiling lamp:

Carnervon Castle, with DIY, very effective, tested hanger:

Torchiere Lamp & renovated table

Old Glass Manufacturing

The search for chimneys and shades for my lamps have led to interesting finds on the subject of glass manufacturing.
I am quickly sharing some of the vintge images of this massive, often formidably looking industry.

Fascinating pages from the renown glass tableware from major manufacturers' catalogues:

 

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Oh yes...And what I was looking for among those pages in the first place?
The S.Reich & Co was a massive glass manufacturer and gorgeous karosene lamps were wearing its glass shades.
The molds survived wars and now the production has been revived, either by Poles, but most likely by the Chechs.
One of the Reich's pages showing the lamp shades, many albeit less and less can be still seen in older homes, among vintage-enthusiasts and antique shops:

My recent aquisition isn't Reich's, it is most likely an Americal, Rochester-style lamp.
We are yet to find more info and a shade for it....
So far, this fascinating information comes from www.glas-musterbuch.de site.

More Oil Lamps joining the collection

The original shade is missing, a temporary chimney does the honours.
I am very much delighted about this find.
Very much in working condition, the reservoir large enough to fit a quart of oil. 












 The "Rochester” Victorian light fixture was made in brass or oxidized silver. The founts held over a quart of oil, enough for two long evenings in an 1890s Victorian parlor. The lamp was 10 1/2 inches high to the top of burner, and had solid metal handles. The lamp featured a porcelain shade.
(from Victoriana Magazine)











Clear miniature lamps look like this:
(with the smallest baby being also a recent acquisition...)
The larger chimney is being referred as Fur Trade Lamp chimney. 

More lamps on my work desk:

Compelling, inspiring

Definitely, worth remembering and following.
Inspite of my love of cooking, the two burners would suffice.
The images of the ancestor "protoplast" - of course...

War Ending Anniversary

I too was commemorating the end of the World War II - as so often, with its image at hand.
This is a large reproduction of a painting by a renown Canadian War artist, Charles Comfort.
Lest we forget...

The Colourful and Loving Watteau

Uff, I have really abandoned my blog for a while...
I have resumed some great reading, a translated "French XVIII c Painters".
What a great great - written more than a century ago, perfect Easter read...

Kirsch, Adam "Masters of indiscretion" in The New York Sun August 29, 2006
Their novels did not make a mark, their plays flipped, by the time they were old they were desperate to save their name from oblivion.
They rescued for quite sometime with their "Journals", I have not read them because I am not THAT interested in the life of the French society in the second part of the XIXc, but I sooo much enjoy their writing about Watteau, Chardin and others.
It has been written at the time when the masters of the 18th century were almost forgotten, once under the generous patronage of Louis the XVth, not fetching much interest nor pricing at the auctions by the time of the book was written.
The Goncourts name is of course immortalized by Edmond's bequest and the consequent renowned Prix Goncourt for Literature.
Anyway, the NY Sun blurb is announces the publication of the Journals.

I, for now, enjoy immensely the French Painters, the language is fresh manner is enthusiastic, I will definitely definitely take another, more careful look at the authentically delicate and joyful painting of Watteau after reading this.

Reclaiming

The material reclaiming and art has been going strong for a long time.
More beauty emerges:
http://issuu.com/iamacreativ/docs/trashart/1

Greetings Everyone!

The year begun beautifully, look at the glazed cityscape of the Ottawa's Old Town area.
Now it is frigidly cold, yet views are still very picturesque.

Left- Ottawa Cathedral, right - National Gallery of Canada