Collection of Heating and Lighting Utensils in the United States National Museum collectors book

Walter Hough

US Govt. Printing Office Washington DC 1928

Reprint (not the original) by Rushlight Club Talcottville, CT in 1981

Covers all types and periods of lighting.

Paper bound 6 X 9 inches 113 pages indexed

Illustrated with black and white photographs

From the Foreword: Over the 53 years since its publication in 1928, Walter Hough's "Collection of Heating and Lighting Utensils in the United States National Museum" has become a classic, an invaluable source of information for the collector and student of early lighting. Bulletin 141, as it is more popularly known, was the result of many years of collecting, comparing and classifying the lighting and heating implements of many cultures, and tracing their histories. Hough was a pioneer in this field. Walter Hough joined the staff of the Smithsonian Institution as a copyist in 1886, two years after he received his Ph. D. from West Virginia University. Eight years later he became assistant curator in the division of ethnology, department of anthropology, and later became head curator of anthropology, a position he held until his death in 1935. The extensive collection of heating, lighting and firemaking devices in the Smithsonian Institution can be traced directly to Walter Hough's interest and collecting activities and to the interest he stimulated in others. One of the largest gifts made to the collection, the Virgil M. Hillyer collection of 1,250 Oriental, European and American lighting devices, was made three weeks after Mr. Hough's death. Shortly after receiving this impressive gift, the collection of heating and lighting implements was first placed on public view. The examples were arranged primarily on the basis of Mr. Hough's system of classification, which in the lightinging exhibit began with the torch and continued through splint, rush and taper holders, utilarian candleholders, candelabra and lanterns. The section on lamps began with simple primitive lamps of shell and stone and extended through crusies and simple fat lamps, lamps with wick supports and spout lamps to American lamps of the 19th century for whale oil, lard, burning fluid and kerosene, to name the highlights. Most collectors follow this classification system in their own collections. Walter Hough also wrote "The Lamp of the Eskimo" (from the Report of the United States National Museum), 1898; "Fire as an Agent in Human Culture" (Bulletin 139), 1926, and "Collection of Firemaking Apparatus in the United States National Museum" (from the Proceedings of the United States National Museum), 1928. All are out of print and difficult to obtain from antiquarian book dealers. Bulletin 141 stands as one of the outstanding contributions to the literature of lighting. It was the first such comprehensive book in the English language. Bulletin 141 has long been out of print. For more than 30 years it has been all but unobtainable, and the price has steadily risen for the few copies that appear from time to time. Because of its value to collectors, the Rushlight Club has reprinted the book exactly as it first appeared. It has been reproduced by permission of the Smithsonian Institution Press from: United States National Bulletin 141, "Collection of Heating and Lighting Utensils in the United States National Museum," by Walter Hough, pp. i-vii, 1-113, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 1928 Reprinting Bulletin 141 at this time is doubly significant in that it marks the beginning of the Rushlight Club's 50th anniversary year and coincides with the exhibit by the Smithsonian Institution of a major donation to its lighting collection by Preston Bassett, a long-time member of the Club.

CONDITION: Very good, very small light stain on the back. Almost like new.

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CONDITION- Our scanner makes colors a little lighter, sometimes yellow, and adds streaks, especially on old paper. We have lightly tinted windows, which may alter the colors slightly when we use a camera. Vintage items will show some age, and we will try to note any and all defects. An item described, as "excellent", can be perfect or have minor flaws, from age, and that I feel any collector would be glad to have. If you have any question on condition, please ask.