Hurricane Lamp

The famous “Gone With the Wind” lamps (or GWTW Lamp) are actually hurricane or chamber oil lamps.

Oil lamps have been used since biblical times but in the 1800s glass manufacturers began designing beautiful hand-painted lamps. When the movie “Gone With The Wind,” came out in 1939 the lamps gained popularity and people began calling these beautiful oil lamps Gone with the Wind Lamps.

Manufacturers of oil lamps included Bradley & Hubbard, Pairpoint, Handel and Pittsburgh Lamp, Brass and Glass Company.

As electric lamps became more popular someone figured out how to convert an oil lamp to an electric one. The ability to convert these lamps undoubtedly saved many of these beautiful oil lamps as people would convert the lamps instead of tossing them in favor of a new electric lamp.

Hurricane lamps remained popular well into the 80s. As electric lamps became more popular in homes, manufacturers skipped the conversion process and started making electric lamps that look like hurricane lamps.

Original or converted oil lamps were made of brass or other metals, and often featured cherubs. Many of these lamps are works of art, with gorgeous hand-painted globes or shades usually painted with flowers.

Hurricane or GWTW lamps are highly sought after today, with prices going into the thousands. Prices are determined by age, manufacturer, and of course, condition.

The easiest way to tell if your GWTW lamp was originally an oil lamp is to look for a tank or reservoir for oil. If there is no place to store oil on the lamp, then it is a newer lamp made specifically for electricity.

But regardless of whether the lamp is made for oil or electricity, hurricane lamps are always a beautiful addition to any home and fit in with many design trends, from victorian to country, vintage to cottage core.