Customer Reviews

American Lighting: 1840-1940

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ms. Maril's late husband left her a hodgepodge collection of light fixtures. She has tried to mold this collection into a history of lighting. Unfortunately a book of photographs and some old catalogue pages do not a history make. Ms. Maril needs to move beyond her limited collection and give us a real history. For some time the author has written a column on antique lighting for Victorian Home magazine. Unfortunately the column suffers from the same weaknesses as the book.

I really like this book as a general reference. Great visuals and wonderful aesthetic. Great definition of "Fluid Lamps". Using color photographs and rare catalog material, this book concentrates on domestic lighting, making this an important book for home restorers and decorators seeking to capture an authentic look in their homes. The informative text and history of the American lighting industry makes it a welcome, valuable addition to the libraries of historians, collectors, and others interested in the development of American design and technology. Advanced researchers may express disappointed but for a general overview you'll want it for your library. It has a welcomed place on my shelf.

Filled with beautiful photographs and catalogue pictures, this lovely hardback book is packed with useful information about antique lighting in the United States. Focusing on lighting for domestic household use, Ms. Maril skillfully explains how the evolution in technology of producing light, influenced the development of lighting styles.
Although the current price guide should be updated and the quality of some of the catalogue reproduction could be improved, this is the best reference book available on the sibject. I highly recommend purchasing this book for your library.

Few books are available which cover the subject of late 19th and early 20th century lighting. I found this book to be rich with information and very useful in identifying some of the pieces I have collected over the years. Other than, "Antique Lamp Buyer's Guide", also by Ms. Maril, there is little reference material for collectors so this is definitely a book worth owning.

Psrticularly strong in presenting the development of electric lighting, Ms.Maril's text, photographs and catalogue illustrations help to explain the stylistic development of lamps, chandeliers and wall fixtures in the United States during the second half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century.

This book is a helpful resource for both beginning and advanced collectors and it's is so attractive, you may want to leave it out on your coffee table!

I've been collecting reverse painted lamps for ten years and I found Ms. Maril's book very helpful in providing information about the various manufacturers who made these lamps at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Unlike a lot of picture books on antiques, Maril explains her subject and provides an overview of lighting technology and styles.

Ms. Maril's late husband left her a hodgepodge collection of light fixtures. She has tried to mold this collection into a history of lighting. Unfortunately a book of photographs and some old catalogue pages do not a history make. Ms. Maril needs to move beyond her limited collection and give us a real history. For some time the author has written a column on antique lighting for Victorian Home magazine. Unfortunately the column suffers from the same weaknesses as the book.

As an antique reproduction manufacturer, I find this book very limited and barely touching the rich depth of this area of American History. Ancestors populated the east coast since 1595 have first hand knowledge, written descriptions and actual lanterns and chandeliers throughout the periods. This book rarely indicates the history nor the flavor and texture of the various periods American Lighting has past though. The pictures are nice.