I.V.A Engineering Co Ltd Magnifying Lamp, Model GP
This lot is a vintage magnifying lamp made by I.V.A Engineering Co Ltd, a company whose maker’s plate describes its products as magnifiers and illuminating visual aids. The plate gives the company’s address as Winchfield Lodge, Winchfield, Nr. Hartley Wintney, Hants, England. The lamp is a freestanding desk model with a rectangular head carrying a magnifying lens panel set into a white-painted housing. The head is mounted on a black-handled, jointed arm that rises from a white-painted base with a shallow tray and a moulded, stepped foot. A label on the rear of the head reads “Model GP” and “220/250v 50hz”. The lamp has a mains cable running from the base.
Condition, Originality and Collector Interest
The lamp shows clear signs of age and use. The white paintwork has wear, scuffs and chips, with some rust-coloured marks on the base and fixings, and there is general dirt and grime across the body. The lens panel is clean in places but has marks, and handwritten pencil or chalk notes appear on the base and near the lens. The maker’s plate is intact and legible, and the model and voltage label is present on the head. The electrical function of the lamp has not been confirmed, and it is offered as seen. Its unrestored state, original maker’s plate and model label may appeal to collectors of vintage medical, optical and workshop lighting, or to restorers and those interested in early magnifying equipment from a British manufacturer.
