A very nice Lumanaire

[Russ Huber]

24 minutes ago, Patrick Ray said:

Possibly a special-order option not advertised.

How would the consumer/retailer know about the special-order option? I am confident the retailers would have them on the floor on display.  Most importantly, why would the manufacturer not state the option in the brochure?  Notice in this advertisement the antique brass finish models are cheaper than Florentine Bronze.

In a nutshell, why is there no mention of a special order deluxe model.

[Trevor Andersen]

Polychrome on lighting in the early 1900s was always kind of freestyle in appearance. This 1920s chandelier is another example. 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Trevor Andersen

[Russ Huber]

[Terry Fisher]

Hey Trevor……..was that polychrome lighting chandelier also “touch up”?

[Lane Shirey]

2 hours ago, Terry Fisher said:

Hey Trevor……..was that polychrome lighting chandelier also “touch up”?

No, polychrome was standard from the factory with lighting. It wasn’t generally precise painting.  It generally looks like they took an airbrush and gave certain details a “spritz” 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Lane Shirey

[Terry Fisher]

Interesting to see the polychrome paint on that chandelier matches the polychrome in colors and shading on those two fans.

[Lane Shirey]

2 hours ago, Terry Fisher said:

Interesting to see the polychrome paint on that chandelier matches the polychrome in colors and shading on those two fans.

They’re fairly standard polychrome colors. I have several chandeliers from different makers with similar colors and design. 

[Russ Huber]

The problem lies in the lack of documented proof of polychrome finish used on some of the Luminaires from the factory. It is not to say Victor did not do it; I just can't find any support on the web connecting the Luminaire to the polychrome process. Not even in the 30s Google book snippets pertaining to the Luminaire.

The only one I know that has/had access to internet old newspaper that could possibly validate this is Mike Kearns. I have tried and failed.

[Jim Henderson]

Terry.Regardless of who applied the polychrome finish on your fan it looks great.

[Terry Fisher]

Thanks Jim.

Well so far these  are the only two Luminaries with polychrome so we will see if any others are discovered. That just makes them more special besides being in perfect condition. Since polychrome makes the casting design much more visible I am wondering why more were not finished that way?

Those polychrome finished lighting fixtures sure look good too. 

Edited December 1, 2023 by Terry Fisher

[Michael Rathberger]

Mine is stuffed in a corner so no access to the back. It's 100% original, I took it down from the attic it was in. There is zero doubt they came with this finish.

[Russ Huber]

16 minutes ago, Michael Rathberger said:

Mine is stuffed in a corner so no access to the back. It's 100% original, I took it down from the attic it was in. There is zero doubt they came with this finish.

Nice, needed contribution, Mike. Notice all 3 examples have what appears to be the offered "Antique Brass" finish. The use of the word polychrome pertaining to lighting is fairly abundant in Google books same circa as the Luminaires and earlier. I tried to pin down the connection in the book advertisements of Luminaire and polychrome, so far, a dry well for me.

[Terry Fisher]

Great looking fan Michael. Welcome to the Luminarie Polychrome club.  Is it a 4 or 6 blade?

 

[Michael Rathberger]

Six blade. Missing the lights. Funny thing, the wife claimed this one but it was an early find of mine, 1999 or so in Hammond Indiana. She hated it when I brought it home. Told me to sell it. I put it in the living room so you could see it walking up to the house though the front window against a back wall. Told her if she felt the same way in a week I would. She huffed and puffed for a couple of days then a few days after said she loved it. It's been hers ever since.

[Terry Fisher]

I figured 6 blade because it has the same polychrome paint as my Luminaire. Notice the difference when compared to the 4 blade model. I would bet all 6 blade fans were painted like our fans and all 4 blade fans were painted with more red as shown below.

Now there is speculation these polychrome Luminaires were produced special order in the factory by Leprechauns, after hours. Then they were spirited out of the factory before the regular workers returned. That is why there I’s no advertising or catalogs listing these fans.

Edited December 2, 2023 by Terry Fisher

[Russ Huber]

55 minutes ago, Terry Fisher said:

Luminaires were produced special order in the factory by Leprechauns, after hours.

That is validated in a 1931 book snippet. 

[Michael Rathberger]

I wish Darryl would post the names. I believe he had a nickel, or chrome, one. I saw one other right here in town. Nickel plated. I tried for months to buy it, Everytime got a no,  I have no idea what happened to it.  As for yours, the 6 wing is for sure perfect original. I'm not sold on the second though, the 4 wing, does not look right to me although I have nothing to base that opinion on...

As for who painted them, I imagine some very talented women personally. Enjoy the fans Terry, they are special (jealous of the lights)

[Terry Fisher]

Maybe another 4 wing model will show up so we can compare.

Sure wish you could have captured that fan. Since it was in your town it is a good possibility you will someday have another chance.

I would like to see a chrome and a black Luminaire……..and also that smaller model.

 

 

[Trevor Andersen]

I found this reference. I can't access more of the book. It looks to just be a little ad so no idea if more is there to support it. It does say "Luminaire models on bronze pedestals with color finishes." If anyone can find the book in a library we might see more. The closest to me with the book is 250 miles away.

 

[Evan Atkinson]

Now is as good a time as any for me to share these images of my Luminaire. It's just like your fan Terry. I would have called it Florentine Bronze, but it also has the color accents all over it. Minus the shades on your sidelights, our fans look identical. That and mine is unfortunately missing the top crest piece, which I hope someone out there in fan land has. But mine seems original down to the deteriorating cloth cord and flesh-colored flame bulbs (I wonder on those). Sidenote: Terry, your "drip tube" sleeves (on the sidelights) are installed upside down. You want them to "drip down" not "drip up" 😉.

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by Evan Atkinson

[Lane Shirey]

I think I have one repop crest remaining if you’re interested. It is cast brass that has been primered. 

[Terry Fisher]

Hey Trevor,

Thanks for that good research. Guess that proves these fans were not just "touch ups" but were produced at the factory. Sure would be interesting to see the complete page as it may describe different color finishes for the 4 blade model compared to the 6 blade model.  i'm still wondering about that. We need 4 blade models for comparison.

Evan............great looking fan and the polychrome plus green shading is identical to my fan.  When you add the crest piece it will be in perfect condition. Even the wiring looks real good!

Thanks for telling me the tubes are upside down. I will get it corrected. Several of us who own Luminaires have called those tubes . . .  candles since they have what looks like wax drippings.

That advertisement above mentions the bulbs and shields (shades) are extra. So I wonder if flame bulbs were used on fans which did not have shades and round bulbs were used on fans that had shades. My shades are made for round bulbs and will not fit the flame bulbs. I believe these fans look the best with flame bulbs because they match the candles better. The shades cover up too much of the candles and also hide the round bulbs.  

Have you noticed the 4 blade motor has oil cups with felt wicks and the 6 blade motor has oil holes in the front and back casting. Since these motors are different I wonder if they have the same winding? Could the motors on the 6 blade models have been wound to provide a little more power?  

[Terry Fisher]

Correction made. Can’t believe I had those upside down! That’s almost as bad as mounting a fan blade backwards.

 

[Russ Huber]

1 hour ago, Terry Fisher said:

Hey Trevor,

Thanks for that good research. Guess that proves these fans were not just "touch ups" but were produced at the factory. Sure would be interesting to see the complete page as it may describe different color finishes for the 4 blade model compared to the 6 blade model.  i'm still wondering about that. We need 4 blade models for comparison.

Google FULL READ books continue to expand with each passing year. There is some stipulation with the full read book cut-off. At present, I have been able to access full reads late 20s, and in some books, as late as the 30s. Hopefully we will all live long enough to get a full read with some definitive answers for the various Luminaires. 🙂

The good fortune for you Terry is members like Mike and Evan came forward with examples to give unquestionable support the polychrome finish appears to be the real deal. I hope you did not take offense to my inability to provide time period ephemera/documentation to support it. It was nothing personal, I assure you. 🙂

Edited December 5, 2023 by Russ Huber

[Evan Atkinson]

3 hours ago, Terry Fisher said:

Have you noticed the 4 blade motor has oil cups with felt wicks and the 6 blade motor has oil holes in the front and back casting. Since these motors are different I wonder if they have the same winding? Could the motors on the 6 blade models have been wound to provide a little more power?  

I have never been able to compare the two models side-by-side Terry. The four wing Luminaires are the oldest versions and they're the motors that need that cutout for the pot metal bosses with their oilers/wicks and back motor shaft. I assumed that the six wing came after, and by that point Victor had begun retrofitting/replacing the motors with newer Victor motors that had no pot metal.

More powerful you speculate? Perhaps they are: I have nothing to compare it against. All I know is that on High, this thing blows air like an asthmatic gnat.  Puffs of air, not much else.