HI all Here is my last restauration : A circa 1912/13 Lefebvre et Cie n°215 table lamp 75 Cms hight for a 4 liters fount, This lamp was also planned to be hanged on a wall, at this effect, the swan neck can be unscrewed at 90 degrées The paper gives a 100 bougies (candels) power but the jet is 18/100 and a 250 CP mantle fits and burns well, For the history you can refer here : http://0flo.com/index.php?threads/10248 I know, my text is a little dense, but you only have to remember that Lefebvre et Cie (143 Avenue Parmentier, Paris) have been bought by the 2 Liotard brothers around 1912, But in late 1913 (we do not know why) the 2 brothers decided to separate. Charles at 22, rue de Lorraine and Louis at 143 Avenue Parmentier. The company Louis liotard Ainé was born (It is the oldest of two brothers, "ainé" in French) ... 6 months before the Great War. So this lamp, even if stamped "Lefebvre", could be either the first production of Louis Liotard Ainé with the Lefebre patents and designs, or the last Lefebvre production. What I can say without many possibilities of error is : the birth of "Unic lumière" is here, I can't proove this because we have found absolutely no paper. But if we observe the burner, we see the UNIC design. This burner have been produced by L. Liotard in the the 20/s and we knows of the first Unic production before 1930 (3 rue du Moulin Joly) If we add that Louis Liotard had bought the E, Brodier patents and process ,,,,,, I have had many problems with this old lady, more than the very dirty state which have necessited a long cleaning time, I have deplored many stress on the fount, many thanks to the epoxy resin ;-) i had no gas outlet tube, nothing to hang the mantle. It has been done with an old naturel gas tube and his ceramic holder. The small copper gasoline wire was broken, and I noted many leaks everywhere. More than all, the needle holder didn't want to go out of the burner. It have soaked during 3 weeks before surrender (with a little help of heat )
Nice restoration Michel and a nice looking lamp. Kind of weird arrangemang of the fuel feed from the tank but it´s French , isn´t it? /Conny
Thanks guys Yes, it is really french. We have to keep in mind this lamp is from the 10's. The lamps had to be usefull AND "chics" to be presented in the "great houses". Several things are odd : - Why 3 taps ? One on the fount, one in the middle of the swan neck and a third on the burner !?? - the fount filling and closure cap arrangement with this huge brass wheel, the manometer and the bicycle valve. Not very usual, nor very pretty (but this is my opinion ... in 2016) As I havn't a hook at the good height, I have laid it on the dresser in order to show you the lamp in wall position. I don't believe it was very often used like that.
