This model 1250 coal oil (kerosene) floor lamp was manufactured by the Aladdin Mantle Lamp Company in 1928. It was Aladdin's first successful introduction of a floor lamp, even though it was not the first floor lamp Aladdin manufactured.
The first floor lamp manufactured by Aladdin was the model-6 which was offered for sale in 1915. The model-6 floor lamp was adorned with a very elegant silk shade that managed to push its price to an extremely high price of $60! The high price put the lamp far beyond the reach of the average person and very few of the model-6 floor lamps were ever sold. It would take Aladdin another 13 years before attempting to market another floor lamp.
Part of the success of the 1250 floor lamp can be attributed to a very nice variety of highly artistic shades that were produced by Aladdin to adorn the lamp. Probably the most prevalent reason for its success however was the simple fact that it was priced at $10, which was in reach of a good portion of Aladdin's customers.
The 1250 along with the very similar 1251 floor lamp, which was introduced in 1929, became known as "bird cage" lamps by collectors. The nickname for these two lamps came about since the wrought iron metal used to support the lamps oil font did indeed resemble a similar piece of wrought iron that was often used in the construction of various bird cages in that era. These Aladdin "bird cage" lamps were only manufactured by the Aladdin Mantle Lamp Company in 1928 and 1929. They proved to be quite popular with customers of that era and some of these lamps can still be found, although most of them are in need of restoration when they are discovered.
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These amber colored tear drop prisms were believed by most collectors to be the correct prisms for both the 1250 and 1251 floor lamps. |
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