First class lounge wall lights

[adam gratwick]

I recently purchased off ebay a pair of ormolu wall lights which had been removed some years ago from the White swan hotel. They were purchased by the seller from Anderson and Garlands who verifyed the history before the auction. I have cleaned one as they were very dirty and the gilt is superb. I have attached a couple of pictures to show the wonderful quality.

 

[adam gratwick]

another one close up

 

[Damon Hill]

Several years ago I had the opportunity to work at a Titanic exhibition where they had a wall light like this also from the Olympics Lounge. I got to hold it and study it close up which was wonderful. It must be great to have one of your own!

 

[Jeremy Lee]

Sorry about that, I realised it used candles!

Take a look at this completed Ebay listing, its the same thing. Were you the lucky winner?

 

[adam gratwick]

yes they are the same ones as listed on ebay - the third one has been sold to another collector. One of the pair i purchased still had the electric fittings which need some attention. it appears that when they were aboard the Olympic they held twisted candle type bulbs with no shades or covers as they have at the White swan.On the back of the lowest branch are the letters B V - makers mark?. My intention is to unite them with the Grand staircase basket chandelier I have

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

Adam,

Thanks for your pictures! Its really nice to see this lamp in color. Here's a photo of Olympic's lamp when it was still fitted in the Lounge:

Regards,

Daniel.

 

[Jeremy Lee]

Too bad, the candle type bulbs - are there any that fit today?

 

[adam gratwick]

Daniel,

thanks for the photo - it shows that the original electrical fittings must have been inside the sconce with only the bulb visible. I'm going to try and find out if the original pattern bulbs are available somewhere.

 

[Stuart Kelly]

Hi Adam,

Do you know when exactly they were removed from the White Swan Hotel and for what reason. I saw the ebay auction and phoned the vendor who said they had been taken out recently. I suspect they may have been in the foyer of the Olympic suite which was undergoing refurbishment during my last visit there and they decided not to reinstall them.

Stuart

 

[adam gratwick]

Hi Stuart.

Anderson and Garland said that they were removed mid 2000 during a refurbishment and purchased by the vendor so I think your suspicion is correct. The chap selling them on ebay didn't seem to know to much about them until we all started asking questions !!!!.Lets hope that nothing else is sold off in the wake of the prices realized at the Haltwhistle sale.

 

[Stuart Kelly]

Well they were there in September 2000 during I visit I had with the Ulster Titanic Society as it then was but were missing mind the decoration working going on in April 2003. The hotel also appears to have lost the large box file of material relating to the Olympic I read through in 2000.

The hotel shouldn't be able to sell anything off from its interior as I know its grade B listing with English Heritage is due to its interior and the Olympic room is specifically mentioned as being 'unique'. Ray Cowell told me English Heritage went out to the factory in Haltwhistle before he decided to sell and decided the collection there wasn't worthy of making it a listed building.

 

[Jeremy Lee]

>>collection there wasn't worthy of making it a listed building.<<

But good enough for us!

 

[adam gratwick]

Hi Stuart.

It's nice to know that nothing else should be removed or sold off. I telephoned Anderson and Garland and disputed the date they said the lights were sold off. They rang back saying that they had spoken to the vendor and he wasn't sure when they were removed and then got a bit defensive. I wonder if they were some left over when the room was installed originally and sold off in 2000 or were they the ones in the foyer that were removed in 2003. Has anyone been to the White Swan recently and noticed if the foyer ones have been put back?

 

[Stuart Kelly]

I was thinking your one is unusual in that it had candles instead of light bulbs. None of the wall sconces I saw on any of my visits to the White Swan, the first being in June 1999, had candles in them.

 

[adam gratwick]

Hi Stuart.

The Chap who was selling them on Ebay had removed the electrical fittings from two of them and put candles in them . I had the one with the fittings intact and one of the ones were they had been removed. The lamp holders may be original but have been extended to take those fake candle covers under the shades. One detail thing you may be able to help me on is my lamps have a hole for a screw in the flat scroll about an 1" from the bottom - do the ones in the White Swan have this?

thanks

Adam