Wanna Meet ALL My Kitchen Lights?
The central pendant. Note how simple it is, as would have been appropriate for an 1894 kitchen.
Note, too, the very simple Holophane shades. Again, appropriate for an 1894 kitchen.
The main pantry sconce, attached to the original gas nipple.
The ‘stove’ sconce, also attached to the original gas nipple. This would have lighted the coal stove.
And…ta-da!!!!!!!!… the third and final sconce. While the other sconces are in original sconce locations, this one is conjectural. The wall was wholly rebuilt in 2014 due to water/termite damage and all evidence of a gas pipe (if any) was removed. But, the 1894 sink was likely in this corner, so a sconce seems right.
I am soooooooooooo thrilled that I managed to find all these very simple, period-correct gas/electric fixtures, and an entire set of matching Holophane shades (kinda a miracle, really).
The great magician, JR of Oregon, fully rewired the fixtures, converting all the gas jets to electric. He is the hero of this story.
While the kitchen still looks like a bomb has gone off in it, repairing all this will be relatively easy. Getting all the perfect lighting though was HARD, and now this is done.
The kitchen will…one day…be incredibly beautiful.
Ross very happy.
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If Ross is happy, I am happy too. Well done JR of Oregon for electrifying the gas portions. One can only imagine the skill and patience on wiring the lights. The kitchen has all-matching Holophane shades. Like a set of jewelry. Wheeeeee
Hi Ross, The lights are just perfect,,, the kitchen will be the heart of your home!!!
So very pretty. And JR is a wizard for fixing those lights. Bravo!
Love them!
I’m so very pleased for you Ross! They are gorgeous! And the spare linear nature and delicacy of these lights provide a visual touch point for the modern chandelier. It’s all gonna be beautiful!!!
This coordinated and period-appropriate accomplishment is a rare feat of prodigious proportion Ross – kudos to you.
While the French patents for Holophane glass were developed in the 1890s and some shades were imported, American Holophane shades were first produced in Newark, Ohio c1900 using Heisey crystal glass from the factory across the street.
So while it is highly unlikely that the Cross House kitchen would have originally had Holophane glass shades, it is entirely plausible that the original shades on those fixtures would have been replaced by Holophane shades c1903-1910 – perhaps along with an upgrade to tungsten filament bulbs around 1907-1910 – in an effort to keep up with the latest trends in lighting advancement (just like you might upgrade to LED bulbs today).
Bo!!!!!!!!
Of course I’ve no idea what the original kitchen shades would have been. Save that they would have been plain. Hence, my selection! And all the bulbs are LED! And dimmable!
Elegant lighting finds!