Saturday, April 11, 2015

Visually Artistic Lighting

Every time we've been in Port Townsend, Washington, I've wanted to stop in and explore the Vintage Hardware & Lighting store.  The store, a large two-story building, sits in a prominent location on a traffic circle that we travel through to get to the main downtown area.  

The products displayed in the store windows kept calling my name, and although I don't need chandeliers for my truck - or antiques, for that matter - I still wanted to take a look. Their inventory is large but the most unique aspect of the store is located on the upper floor. They have an Art Deco Light Museum.

Several rows of display cases displayed lighting fixtures from the Great Depression years of 1928 to 1938.  Their promotional flyer for the museum states, "When fallen businessmen were selling apples on street corners for a penny, some of these fixtures sold for over $25."

And they are beautiful.  Each showcase had chandeliers and coordinating sconces accompanied by a display card detailing the manufacturer (if known), the year of manufacture, the materials used, the design names, etc.  It was quite an education.

It is the world's only American Art Deco Light Museum.  Chosen from over 2,000 fixtures, a unique group has been selected for display in the museum.  The museum website says, "It's estimated that you could visit 100 antique shops before finding one of these fine lights.  Some rare "slip shade" lights could not be found even if you visited 10,000 antique shops."
It was quite a treat.  I loved seeing these fixtures, knowing that they were very likely the same as the ones used in the home of this historic town.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014: I Lost Sleep Looking At All These Links

2013: Five Facets Of Comfort
2012: The Daily Rant Brings You The Daily Commute
2011: Not For The Shy
2010: A Barge And A Lady
2009: Easter Preparation Takes Its Toll
2008: Eddie In The Blue Friday
2007: The Man Filter
2006: There Is Still A Chance
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

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