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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Wigan Album

EMPIRE CINEMA

3 Comments

Victorian Gas Lamp 1874
Victorian Gas Lamp 1874
Photo: RON HUNT
Views: 2,508
Item #: 30659
This gas lamp predated Weisbach's invention of the incandescent mantle. It was from the early Victorian gas lamp days and was dated 1874. It stood outside the Alex Music Hall, later the Empire Cinema and then Bingo Hall I wonder what happened to it??

Comment by: A.W. on 23rd July 2018 at 09:52

Ron, a neighbour of mine, builder by trade acquired a lamp standard for use in his garden about the time The Empire was demolished and he said at the time that he believed it came from there. The neighbour sadly died many years ago and I am not sure if the lamp is still at his former house, will try to find out and let you know on here.

Comment by: rt on 1st August 2018 at 13:26

a firm I worked for as an apprentice in the 60s bought hundreds of lamp heads from the council (Naylors brass foundry in the weind) and my job was to buff all the thick green paint off back to bare metal which was beautifully made from brass and copper these where then exported to America who would buy anything old European now that I think of it where was health and safety then, as I was a sixteen year old kid with this green smog around me for weeks on end probably thick with lead from the paint

Comment by: A.W. on 2nd August 2018 at 11:36

Ron, managed to check up on the old lamp, it is no longer at the house I mentioned, whereabouts now unknown.

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