Old Lamp???

[doublehose]

Hi; I found this about 20 years ago diving off a pier in Halifax N.S where ocean liners (including RMS Olympic) used to tie up. Now large cruise ships use it , when the tugs would pull the massive vessels from the dock their thrusters would dig huge ditches in the muddy bottom. We would go in the off season when the pier was empty and go down into the ditches the tugs made and see what got turned up. This was one of those finds . Unfortunately we cannot go there anymore since 9/11 the authorities have stepped up security and the pier is out of bounds to divers. The object is about 5 inches tall made of brass and has CLICHY SEINE and FLUID written on the base. I think it is some sort of a ship's lamp but I'm not sure...

 

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[ANTIQUARIAN]

This is a French made brass 'gimbled lamp', that would have been screwed to the wall on a ship. It likely would have burned kerosene or some other type of combustible fluid via a woven round cotton wick, although the burner and glass chimney are now missing. It dates from between 1870 - 1880.

As far as value goes, if you could find a period appropriate burner & chimney and have the lamp body professionally polished, it could sell for as much as $500 - $600 in a nautical auction.

Very nice find,
Dave

 

[doublehose]

Hi; Thank You for the reply, I wish we could still dive there . We used to come up with some very interesting things mostly shipping line china, I have Canadian Pacific Steamship Lines and a couple of Cunard White Star Line pieces of China as well as a plate with a trident on it that I think is Greek. A friend of mine found a White Star Line dish which I think is fairly valuable. Once while diving there I came by an intact World War II era anti- aircraft shell, I pulled it out of the mud but since it was live I left it there. Than as I looked through the mound turned over by tugs thrust I saw about 2 dozen more all about 40mm AA shells ! No doubt they fell off a pallet being loaded on a ship during the war, as I was getting low on air I finished the dive as far as I know they are still there ...