looking for info on this item

[Digger54]

Hi;

I know that this is a handle to a lamp, but the "what is it" forum has a lot of knowledgeable sources and was hoping someone may shed some light on this (pun intended ):

I took the time to take a closer look at a lamp handle I found recently and I read the following on the disc...

Parker's Snow & Co Jan 14 1860

Doing a quick search on the internet I see the same company made an 1861 percussion musket. I don't see them listed in my copy of American Military Goods dealers. Rather unusual that a weapons maker would make lamps too. Unless the lamp was a civil war version of a night scope

Anyone have any info?

 

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[Kenosha Kid]

http://asoac.org/bulletins/90_parker_parker.pdf

"Few people today realize that he was a manufacturer of hardware, housewares, heavy machinery, a major financier, Meriden, Connecticut’s largest landowner, its first mayor, and a philanthropist".

Figure 2 shows the Charles Parker factories, circa 1919. Top left: Parker Clock Company; top right: Parker Piano Stool Company; center: The Union Works; bottom left: Parker Brothers Gun Works; bottom right: East Meriden Spoon Works.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...d=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com

"He had apprenticed as a button maker, and had owned a small company that made coffee mills, spoons, eyeglass cases, door knockers, tableware, waffle irons and other household items ... In order to remain competitive, Parker’s company merged several times, and manufactured a wide variety of products ‚ ranging from steam engines, train wheels and printing presses to piano stools".

This site is for his lampworks and his patents, at least 39 of them, from 1860-1897 (searchable). Parker stopped producing it's line of lamps in 1931.

http://www.thelampworks.com/lw_companies_parker.htm

 

[Digger54]

We are now one of the "few...

...people today realize that he was a manufacturer of hardware, housewares"

Kenosha: Thankyou for taking the time to put together such a large selection of info on this question. I am grateful .

Really neat to connect the dots.

 

[Kenosha Kid]

Found it, according to this:

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/small-brass-oil-finger-lamp-8-parkers-snow-brooks

Though it doesn't show enough detail of the knob/turn handle, it does reference the same patent date as yours is; however, it states "Parker, Snow, Brooks & Co".