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1935 and 1936

 

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The Corinthian family of Aladdin lamps is largest and most diverse family of Aladdin lamps. It includes seventeen different lamps if you count the lamps that are the same color, but have a different type of metal connector. (You will only see fifteen here since I didn't include the lamps that the only difference between them is the metal connector.)

The solid colors include amber crystal, green crystal, and clear crystal glass, along with white moonstone, "apple green" moonstone," jade green” moonstone, and rose moonstone glass. The white moonstone, and clear crystal fonts were then used to create several combinations consisting of: clear font/green foot, clear font/amber foot, white moonstone font/rose moonstone foot, and white moonstone font/ jade green foot.

A dark crystal foot was also used to create a clear font/dark foot, and a white moonstone font/dark foot combination. This so called "black crystal" base when held up to a strong light source will reveal it isn't really black, but rather a very dark shade of amethyst, cobalt, green, or red. The cobalt foot seems to be the one most in demand by collectors.

To make the group even more diverse, there are three different styles of metal connectors used to connect the fonts to the feet. Two are "white metal" connectors. One has a scalloped design around it’s rim, while the other has a ribbed design. The third style is a smooth brass connector.

The Corinthian Aladdin lamps were molded in two pieces, and then glued together with aid of the metal connectors between the font and the foot. The glue used in the process added an inherent weakness to this family of Aladdin lamps since it is a heat sensitive glue. If the lamp is left in the sun, or a direct source of heat, allowing the lamp itself to heat up the glue will soften, and may allow the glass font and foot to separate when moved. The heat from the lamp being lit will not cause the joint on the lamp to heat up.

Another problem with this family of lamps is that the base of the foot often has a thin layer of glass running around the bottom edge. This glass "flash" should have been ground off at the factory, but was all to often left in place creating an area that is very easily chipped. Luckily some of the bases do appear to have been ground smooth, and these are the ones you will most often find without chips. You can recognize this problem area easily by running your finger along the edge of the base, but be careful as the sharp edge can cut you if you apply too much pressure to it. On close inspection you can also see the thin jagged glass protruding out from the thicker edge of the base.

If you should find a good lamp that has this troublesome area be careful not to bump it when moving the lamp around, as doing so is what causes most of the chips that are found on the edge of the foot. The “flash” glass can be sanded off, but care must be taken not to do anything more than smoothing out the edge. You do not want to mark or disturb the thicker glass edge of the foot of the lamp.

 

 

B-101

B-102  

B-103

B-104

B-105

B-106
B-111 B-112 B-114
B-115 B-124 B-125
B-102 "olive green" B-126 B-101 "dark amber" variant

"Metal Connectors"

Corinthian Label

"Jade" and "Apple" green comparison

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