Our program was given by our own Sandy Meredith, Remax real estate agent, who hails from Clermont, GA. Clermont is half-way between Cleveland and Dahlonega for anyone who does not know where it is.

The program on Antique Lighting of the Victorian Era was inspiring to say the least. Sandy has been collecting antique fixtures for 15 years. She had prepared a wonderful handout complete with color pictures of the fixtures she uses in every room of her home.

The Victorian way of decorating is to put something on every available spot. When acquiring antique light fixtures, always get them totally rewired. It will save you money in the long run. Make sure that your converted gas light fixture has a valve that turns. If you see a matching pair of globes, buy them. Pairs are hard to find. If you ever start putting opalescent globes on your fans, you will never use the ones that come with the fans. The canopy of a light fixture is the part that attaches to the ceiling. Look at the canopy first, then chain, then the body of the lamp. Check out the filters which hold the globes. Be careful buying replacements; many of the replacements are reproductions and weigh more than antique globes.

If you really want to make an impression, put antique light fixtures in your halls. If you find gorgeous fixtures, but hate the shades, or if you love the shades and hate the fixtures, buy them anyway. You never know when you might find the absolutely perfect replacement for the part you hate. You cannot expect these old glass shades (globes) to match, just like with depression glass. Don't be afraid to mix and match.

When hanging a fixture, 6' 8" is the lowest you can hang a fixture. It cannot be lower without running the risk of it getting bumped. Never use more than a 60 watt bulb in antique fixtures. Carnival glass was widely used in antique fixtures. In the 1800's we had gas fixtures. Many fixtures that you will find today were gas and electric because the gas went out frequently. Electricity came into being in the 1900's. In one of Sandy's bathrooms she has a lovely double light fixture that came out of a Victorian house in Mobile. The double light fixtures that hold two globes are hard to come by. She has another double fixture in another bathroom that was made by Gillinder which is dated 02/23/1910. Anything attached to the wall is considered a sconce.

When looking on EBay, remember that shades can be listed as globes. Sandy's light fixtures are all brass, and date from the 1900's and 1920's. The fixtures that she has in one hall came out of the Granada Theater in Norfolk, Nebraska. The late Johnny Carson had his 1st job in that theater. After seeing the lovely fixtures hanging so tastefully in her home, I suspect that we will be having a road trip to Clermont in the near future!!