GUEST: I inherited it from my father, who got it from his mother, my grandmother.
APPRAISER: And where did your grandmother live?
GUEST: She was born in Angels Camp, California. Her father was the town doctor there, and so she lived there until she went to Stanford University, and the lived in the Bay Area in San Leandro.
APPRAISER: Okay, well, the reason why I asked is because the company that made this lamp had offices in New York and Montreal and also in San Francisco. This lamp was made by a company called Pairpoint. Pairpoint was based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. They were in business in the 19th century into the 20th century. They started to make lamps in about 1904. The made reverse painted lamps and they also made lamps that we call puffy lamps. And this is what we would call a puffy lamp. The company filed for the patent on the puffy lamp on July 7, 1907. Now, I don't think this is as early as 1907. I would date this lamp circa 1920.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: It's what we call a boudoir lamp. And the shape of the shade, we call it a Stratford shade, puffy lamp with a floral design with a lace pattern. Now, if you notice, the outside of the shade is frosted.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: The inside of the shade has been painted. So you see pansies in here. There are also roses and I think there's a daisy also and some dogwoods. And then enhancing the design is this lace pattern that you see painted in white. The shade is made in a mold.
GUEST: It's mold blown. Oh, okay.
APPRAISER: And you don't usually see any mold lines on the shade because they actually fire polish those out. It's on a base that is marked. It's very difficult to see. It's upside down right here. But that's where it is. That's where the signature is. It even has a number and it says "Made in the U.S.A." It's very gentle and delicate and it has a warm glow. It's just very comforting.
GUEST: And I still use it today.
APPRAISER: Oh, that's great. I'm glad to hear that. If this were sold in a retail shop, it would sell for around $1,500. Now, the base is not that elaborate. It's also not in very good condition. It's really been worn off. It was used a lot. Exactly. And so if it were in better condition, it could be worth as much as $2,000 or $2,500.
