Update: M. G. Wheeler Sightlight

Almost a year ago, I posted about Sightlight lamps. At the time, I had found one on Craigslist but knew very little about it. After the original post, I continued my research but turned up few facts. Interestingly, though, people continued to comment...either to volunteer more information or to ask questions.

A couple of days ago, yet another comment prompted me to start searching again, and I finally hit paydirt. The Sightlight was designed by Leroy C. Doane. He filed for a patent on June 7, 1946, and the patent was granted on October 5, 1948. The lamps were manufactured by M. G. Wheeler Co., Inc. of Greenwich, Connecticut. I've seen photos of marked lamps with different bases, arms and tops, so several variations must have been manufactured. That's the subject for further investigation.

But for all of you who have wanted to know who the designer was...another mystery solved.

liveauctioneers.com

M. G. Wheeler Sightlight

I ran across this lamp a month or so ago and was fascinated by it, but I didn't have a clue what it was.

M. G. Wheeler Sightlight floor model
craigslist.org

Then a few days ago I was cruising eBay to see if I could run across anything interesting, and I found a table lamp that was an exact match. I was excited to see that it still had tags and that the seller had been able to identify it...as a W. G. Wheelmer, according to the listing. I immediately googled the name to learn more, and ...nothing.

M. G. Wheeler Sightlight table model
ebay.com

After trying several different combinations of search terms, it occurred to me that the seller might have made a typo, so I plugged in "Wheeler," and up popped the information I wanted. It turns out the seller had totally botched the name. It wasn't W. G. either. It was M. G.

The style is called the Sightlight, and it was manufactured by M. G. Wheeler Co., Inc. of Greenwich, Connecticut. I haven't found out yet when the company started, but I did find a record that indicates a Melville G. Wheeler filed for incorporation on July 27, 1950. I found conflicting information about a date for the lamps, with one source stating that it was a 1930s design, while another claimed it was a product of the 1940s, and several others said 1950s.

I think it has that wonderful flying saucer look of a Marion Geller or Gerald Thurston or Gino Sarfatti lamp, and I love it, no matter when was designed. Just for the record, I plan to keep looking for information about the Sightlight till I come up with something definitive.

Most of the Sightlights I found on eBay were pretty banged up, but I found several restored lamps that had been painted nicely:

Fully restored Sightlight in black and brass
etsy.com - RamirezDesignWorks

Sightlight in coral
ebay.com

Blue Sightlight with round base
picclick.com