RIPLEY LAMPS
Daniel C. Ripley established his glass company in 1866. He and his son Daniel C. Ripley Jr. produced a variety of glassware for several years. Geo. Duncan became a partner in 1867 and became sole owner in 1874. D .C. Ripley Jr. established a new company soon after.This company merged with other companies to become the United States Glass Company in 1891. D. C. Ripley Jr. became president of this new glass combine.The company was best known for their patented lamps. On January 7th, 1868 Ripley received a patent for a hand lamp having two handles. The purpose of the two handles was so that a lamp could be handed from one person to another easily. I have three examples of the two handled Ripley Lamps. Each has patent dates embossed on the underside of the base. One has the Jan 7th 1868 date. Another has three dates: Jan 7th, July 14th, and Aug 11th. The third also has the patent date of Sept. 20, 1870. Ripley also produced stem lamp called the Ripley Hollow Stem Lamp. The stem was hollow and contained an artificial flower and twig. This was held in the stem by a piece of cork with the patent dates 1881 and 1882 on a paper cover. I have one Hollow Stem Lamp without the flower and cork and one with. They are two different heights: 8 1/2" and 10 3/4". I am looking for the same lamp in different sizes.D. C. Ripley received patents for other lamps that I have never seen. However, his most distinctive lamp was know as the Marriage or Wedding Lamp. Ripley received three patents for this lamp: Feb. 1, 1870, June 14, 1870 and Sept. 20, 1870. The Wedding Lamp had two fonts on a single base. They were made in clear glass, white, blue or green opaline, or in combinations. I would love to obtain a Wedding Lamp for my collection. However, I have not been able to find one that I could afford. Will continue to look.( click on photos to enlarge )