The TV Lamp Collectors Blog

The community of pottery collectors has lost a true friend, as Charlene Korcz passed away on October 4th following her fight with cancer. Char was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic historian, particularly regarding the products of Haeger Potteries. She traveled from her home in Carpentersville, Illinois to Texas in 2006 for the Texans Inc. Reunion, and my family and I had the pleasure of visiting her this past summer for a tour of the Haeger facility. Char was a dear friend, and will be missed.

These fish TV lamps are familiar to many collectors, but I wonder how many know that they were made by two different potteries?

Before I delve into their differences, I want to identify the sources of these two “2 fish” TV lamps. The brown one was made by Texans Incorporated, the lamp company in Bangs, Texas. But it should be said that it is not one of the Howard Kron designs… those came later. The gray and maroon example was produced at American Art Potteries in Morton, Illinois. I am confident in the attribution of both, as the Texans lamp has been identified by former employees and the AAP version is often found with their foil label.

So how do they differ? The most obvious thing is the number of “waves” on the base, as the AAP version has more, and smaller, waves than the Texans version. The glazes are also a good identifier, as the Texans fish are typically found in a single color with a lighter drip over-glaze. AAP on the other hand, seems to have always gone with two-tone schemes, some quite attractive and others, well… not so attractive! Read more…

Lane & Co. Panther (1959), #150168864706.
Chalkware Oriental Lady, #290168111454.
Lane & Co. “3 Cats”, #220157603352.
Gonder/Bradley Horse Head, #170156354825.
Ornamental Arts & Crafts
“Hunting Deer”, #270173204947.
McCoy Panther (chartreuse), #260167471893.
Phil-Mar Panther, #140164809421.
Maddux Rooster (brown finish), #290166984667.

Here’s one that will have the hard-core collectors salivating! Big, rare and bold, this 3-Horse TV lamp by Texans Incorporated is one of Howard Kron’s most memorable designs. Said to be damage-free by the seller, it is auction #190158702007.

…and don’t forget, the 3rd Annual Texans Incorporated Reunion will be held in Bangs, Texas on November 10th!

Gosh, I don’t know where to begin. Is this not the craziest rooster of all time?! Without a doubt, it’s finds like this that keep me enthusiastic about TV lamp collecting. The colors, the bold (and seriously peculiar) design… it just doesn’t get any better than this. Actually it does get better. It’s for sale! This gem is now at auction on eBay, and is item #190156629661. Not only that, but it’s being offered by eBay seller, bucksonbay, an extremely dependable retailer of awesome TV lamps and other stuff. OK, I believe it’s time to put our thinking caps on… who do you suppose made this crazed bird? Given that the lamp is absent of any markings, we’ll just have to do a little detective work, hopefully finding stylistic similarities between it and other known lamps. Read more…

Here’s something you don’t see every day… a developmental sketch for a TV lamp! This styling exercise was rendered by Howard Kron as he brainstormed the 3-Horse TV lamp for Texans Incorporated. A revealing look into his creative process, the pencil drawing was clearly intended to sort out proportions, as no effort was wasted on details. At this point Kron had established the basic form, the space for the bulb/fixture having also been considered. It’s interesting to note that this early sketch included references to the legs, a feature that was minimized in the final product. The sketch is in the collection of Richard Gunter, as are other sketches of various Kron TV lamps. My favorite of these is the Owl, with both the front and back rendered. I’ll post those in the next few weeks!

This one has peaked my curiosity for a long time. Both elegant and massive (12″ tall and 17″ wide!), it is beautifully designed in a style that I think of as art-deco. (but I could be wrong!) Glazed in chartreuse and emerald green, it is actually too large to have been suitable for many televisions of the day, which could explain its extreme rarity. So who made this behemoth? Read more…

$338.33 - Miramar of California Cat

$331.00 - Kron/Texans Inc. Comedy-Tragedy

$192.49 - Claes Siamese Kittens

$152.50 - Haeger Leaping Nude with Deer

$129.85 - Iron Indian Radio Lamp (1931)

$126.50 - Jacquelin Panther (white)

$105.50 - Lane & Co. Swordfish

$100.99 - Lane & Co. Tropical Leaves

$92.79 - Lane & Co. Pink Poodles

$90.66 - Enchanto Dolphins

Claes “Kittens on a Pillow”

This is too cool… a variation of the Claes “Glowing-Eyed Siamese Twin Kittens T-V Lamp” that includes a pink pillow/cat bed! The cats and pillow are not fused together, the lamp set into position on the base. Although the pillow isn’t marked it was clearly designed specifically for the purpose of supporting the cats, their contours fitting perfectly. Is this rare? You bet your sweet bippy! The lamp itself is relatively scarce, but the pillow is extremely rare. I should mention at this point that the example shown here is currently listed on eBay, and is auction #300153002999. Read more…

I’m off to the hospital tomorrow to have a “minor” surgical procedure performed. (Is “going under the knife” ever minor?) I’ll be home same-day, but my recovery speed could put a damper on my posts for a few days…or not. I just didn’t want y’all to panic if there’s a brief, deafening silence!