I just bought this great WB Brown lamp. I was thrilled to find it in issue 58 of American Bungalow. Pretty cool to have the same lamp as Dr. Michael Clark!

A very clean example of wooden lamp contruction. Can you tell if the slag is original?

Congratulations!

is it marked?

The slag appears to be original. It has some nice 100 year old dirt in the corners and is rough textured on one side and smooth on the reverse. The finish is perfect. According to Michael and Jill Clark's article on the WB Brown Company, the lamps were stained and waxed but varnished for an additional charge. This one was not varnished.

It also isn't marked. I don't think any of them are. The Clarks have a 1912 Brown catalog, but I don't know if it has or will be reprinted.

Hi,
I just saw your lamp and wanted to respond. It looks to be all original. It appears to be a #223 in catalog #16. These numbers vary and only minor changes will differentiate the lamps. Only a few had a mark on them. The mark you will see is an impressed mark stating the 1906 patent date for the "knock down" feature. Brown cornered the market for several years in glass and wood lamps because of this patent. He marketed his lamps through Come-Pact, Brooks, Shop of the Crafters, Wards, Sears, etc. The 1912 Catalog is a book with over 500 lamps and chandeliers in it and really defies publishing because of it's size. The other catalogs are smaller but do not offer the scope of the 1912 book. I have most of the information for a scholarly introduction to this catalog but I do not think anyone will publish it. Another drawback is that a good publication would require the destruction of a catalog to print it right. There are very few of these catalogs around. I know of about five of the 1912 and fewer of the others. I have the 1906, 1912, 1916, and 1917. I also have bits and pieces of others.
My best,
Michael