Victorian and early twentieth-century lighting - Design Notes - Brief Article

Magazine Antiques, July, 2002 by Allison Eckardt Ledes

The Far West abounds in buildings that date from the turn of the twentieth century, ranging from large Victorian mansions to pared-down bungalows. These buildings are sought after but often need a great deal of restoration to bring them back to their original appearance, because in the 1960s and 1970s many of their period features were eliminated when their owners deemed them hopelessly old fashioned. As a greater appreciation of these styles began to develop, owners wishing to reinstall period features, particularly electric lighting fixtures, found them difficult to find. To meet this need Jim Kelly founded Rejuvenation House Parts in 1977 in Portland, Oregon, to sell old fixtures and architectural details. When demand exceeded supply he decided to start manufacturing reproductions under the name Rejuvenation Lamp and Fixture Company, concentrating on the period between 1890 and 1950.

Kelly starts the manufacturing process by disassembling a period example and using the components as patterns. In some cases he has been able to locate old dies and molds for some of the parts and the glass shades. For example, nearly 75 percent of the glass shades are blown in old molds. The parts are cast, spun, stamped, drawn, or turned, and then assembled and finished by hand. The firm offers eleven finishes for its brass fixtures as well as painted and custom finishes. Its large library of period catalogues is one of the firm's sources for new reproductions.

Rejuvenation has a restoration department and offers many lighting-related accessories. It sells numerous types of light bulbs--from a replica of an example invented by Thomas Edison in 1890 to a tungsten bulb developed in 1911. The fixtures that the firm produce range from chandeliers and wall lights (made for both indoor and outdoor use) to a smaller selection of freestanding lamps. It also offers switch plates and push-button wall switches. A few of the many historic sites with which the firm has worked are: Hearst Castle, in San Simeon, California, the Governor's Mansion in Denver, and Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

The company issues a catalogue every two years, which includes much lighting information. It may be ordered by telephoning 888-401-1900 or by consulting its Web site (www.rejuvenation.com).