What is antique brass lighting? An explanation of antique brass lighting. Brass is a golden yellow colored ally of copper and zinc. It's usually 67 percent copper and 33 percent zinc. It is harder than copper...
Brass is a golden yellow colored ally of copper and zinc. It's usually 67 percent copper and 33 percent zinc. It is harder than copper and won't tarnish as easily. Because it melts when heated to very high temperatures, it can be poured into molds. Candlesticks are the most common form of brass lighting, but there are many other forms.
"A lot of antique lights are made out of brass," says Sharon Nunnally, who has been in the antique lighting business for 20 years and is the owner of Antique Lighting and Restoration in Denver. "In fact, most of them are. Brass is a common metal in antique lighting. I think it's interesting that a lot of times people don't understand that brass was a very clinical product for a very long time. There were a lot of brass and bronze lights in American homes during the first half of the 20th century. During the World War II era from 1941 to 1945, aluminum and pop metals came into play as brass got scarce."
Although there was once a scarcity of brass in the United States, Americans had plenty of it in the 1900s up to World War II. Brass cooking utensils from chafing dishes to cookie cutters became very popular.
During the early 1900s parlor lamps with brass and copper bases became popular with Americans. These lamps were in the shapes of earlier china base parlor lamps and most were designed to use a mushroom or dome shade plain glass shade. Many of these refurbished lamps now have a fabric shade instead of the original glass shade.
Many decorators believe brass is a perfect choice for antique lighting fixtures. That's because the glow of a light bulb shows off brass to its best advantage. The warm glow of brass lamps, sconces, lanterns, and candlesticks added a desirable comforting touch of the past to a room. In many cases they are a perfect match for the fireplace andirons, fireplace screen, and implements. Brass even enhances the glow of the flame itself. Brass is also durable for homes with children and pets and it's easy to maintain.
The University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Office (UTAEO) offers the following tips for cleaning and maintaining brass. Most metal polishes for sale today help stop metals from tarnishing, or turning a dark color, according to UTAEO. They help keep metals shiny as well as cleaning off the tarnish. Choose the kind of polish made for cleaning brass or whatever metal you're cleaning. Wash the object in warm, soapy water. Rinse and dry well. Then polish according to the product directions. Rub or wash away all the polish. Any polish left on the object can cause the object to tarnish again quicker. Slightly tarnished metals can be cleaned with a homemade paste made of equal parts of salt, vinegar and flour. Rub on with a soft cloth, rinse and buff. For hard to remove stains on brass or copper, rub with salt and vinegar or lemon juice. To keep outdoor brass bright, rub with a thin coat of paste wax after polishing. To keep indoor brass bright, rub with lemon oil.
