These lamps have very little to do with George and Martha Washington except for their fashion of clothing and dress.
Most George and Martha Washington lamps were made of porcelain circa 1940-1950's. They were commonly hand painted with real 22-24 K gold trim. Try as much as you like but you can never duplicate the rich luxurious gold color trim used in these beautiful porcelain lamps unless you use real gold.
Although commonly called George and Martha Washington lamps, the decorative figures adorning these porcelain lamps actually represent wealthy members of the court of the French King Louis XV around 1765.
The decorative figures are usually in various states of romance, picnics, dancing, poetry, singing, etc. The original paintings on many of these lamps were originally from the French artist Jean- Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806). Fragonard was well known for his very lewd and hedonistic art that was highly sought after by wealthy art patrons of the morally loose Louis XV and his fun loving court. George and Martha lamp decorations represent Fragonard's much more reserved paintings.
George and Martha Washington lamps are no longer being produced and the value of these vintage lamps continue to rise. If you find one, you can be assured that it is a vintage lamp.
George Washington lived from 1732- 1799 so he was alive when the original designs were created for these beautiful lamps in France.
In 1775, the Continental Congress appointed Washington commander-in-chief of the American revolutionary forces. He was later elected president in 1789 but George and Martha Washington had nothing to do with these lamps except they both had a similar fashion of dressing which was also common in France during that same period.
- Jim Hoyle
Biography: Since 1979 Jim Hoyle has owned and operated Lamp & Home Outlet - North Carolina's Most Exclusive Unique Lamps and Lamp Shades. Jim designs and manufactures fine cast metal table lamps and floor lamps and collects, sells, repairs, restores and appraises antique lamps from special acquisitions and estates worldwide. His company also specializes in lamp and home decor factory buyouts and warehouse closings. Comments and questions are answered personally. His company's website contains a wealth of free information about lamps and lighting
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