Barsony lamp with built-in ash tray

The Barsony ceramics factory was established in Sydney around 1950 by Hungarian immigrant George Barsony and his wife Jean. While it operated until 2005, the most popular items were produced from the early fifties to the mid 70s, by which time lamps like the one in the photo had lost their popularity.

I bought this lamp in 1988 for $45. These days they are highly collectible, especially when they are in mint condition like mine was when I bought it. The base still is, but over the years the hot burning light bulbs disintegrated the plastic strip of the shade. A few years ago I found enthusiast Kathy in Queensland who works with a man of 89 at the time who restores the shades. Kathy asked me to send a photo of the lamp and send up the shade, and I said I wanted the plastic replaced in black and yellow, like the original. Here's what she said in reply.

"Just to clarify though Annie, that's lemon and not yellow. That's an original FL27 Hawaiian lady lamp you have pictured and the shade of yellow in her skirt is in fact lemon. In the reproduced Hawaiian lady lamp the colour is egg yolk yellow."

I stood corrected. She even sent me a photo of the lemon and yellow plastic strips so I could see the difference. Don't you just love that? People who know what they're talking about. And what a bonus to find out that I had bought an original.

I love the fact that the base has a built-in ash tray, by the lady's left hip. They knew how to smoke in the sixties!

I've included a colour shot as an extra. The sixties were, after all, about colour.

Thanks for hosting Laurie. Stay well all.