7/1996-1

Collection

Metalwork

Brief description

Gasolier with five arms, decorated with perching storks, acanthus leaf motifs and scrolling tendrils, made from bronzed and gilt brass with replica frosted glass shades, manufactured in England c.1845.

Object name

gasolier

Object number

7/1996-1

Production date

c.1845 (manufactured)

Production place

England (manufactured)

Period

Victorian (1837-1901)

Material

brass
glass

Technique

bronzed
gilded
gilded

Physical description

Gasolier, with five arms, each surmounted by a perching stork and ending in an upright gas burner (now electrified). Made of bronzed and gilt brass, the whole is decorated with heavy acanthus leaf motifs and scrolling tendrils.

Dimensions

Height: 87cm
Width: 87cm
Depth: 87cm

Website keywords

Lighting
gas lighting

Label

Label text for 1870 Period Room (Room 6), Geffrye Museum, 2010:
Gasolier
This elaborate fitting was made for gaslight, but was later converted for electricity. Gas was installed in new houses in London from around the 1840s and provided a convenient alternative to oil lamps and candles. The early fittings were not universally popular because they gave a yellowish, flickering light and produced a sooty deposit. The introduction of the gas mantle in the 1880s overcame these problems.
Brass, c1870, replica glass shades
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