The Short Lincoln Drape lamps are among the most frequently reproduced Aladdin lamps. Fortunately, the reproductions are easy to identify. On reproduction examples, the burner threads are part of a metal collar that is glued to the top rim of the glass font. On original Short Lincoln Drape lamps, the burner threads are mounted within the glass opening itself, extending down into the font rather than being attached to an external collar. I have provided pictures to demonstrate the difference in the burner threads. The newer lamps are made in two pieces, with the foot being glued to the glass font. The original lamps were molded in one piece. The newer lamps use the model-23 burner, while the original Short Lincoln Drape lamps use the model-B burner. The two burners can, however, be interchanged. Some of the original Short Lincoln Drape lamps have a larger foot referred to as a "Solitaire foot". It is larger and of a more "stepped" design than the normal foot of the Short Lincoln Drape. The name "Lincoln Drape" refers to the drape design molded into the glass font, which resembles the drape design used on president Lincoln's casket.
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Aladdin "Alacite glass" Short Lincoln Drape lamp. This has always been a popular lamp both with the original buyers and with today's collectors. The ivory glow of the Alacite glass catches attention wherever it is.
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Aladdin amber crystal Short Lincoln Drape lamp. This is not an easy lamp to find. The reason for that is probably the simple fact that buyers of the day could also get the same style lamp in ruby red crystal, and ivory Alacite glass. The more colorful lamps seem to find their way into more homes, which makes the amber crystal lamp much harder to find today.
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The amber opalique Short Lincoln Drape lamp features a milky white color that almost appears suspended in the amber glass itself. It can range from a mild somewhat cloudy appearance like this example, to a very distinctive and pronounced white highlight. Even the more dramatic examples, however, still have the appearance of the lighter color being suspended within the amber glass. The opalique color seems to emerge even more as light passes through the lamp. The brighter the light, the more the dramatic the opalique effect becomes, until it almost glows from within the glass. In shade however, unless the opalique effect is quite pronounced, the lamp can closely resemble the amber crystal Short Lincoln Drape. This lamp when placed in a dark or shaded area is hard to tell from the amber crystal lamp. When in an area where bright light can pass through it, however, the opalique effect is quite apparent, as it is here in this photo.
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Original Aladdin ruby crystal Short Lincoln Drape lamp. It seems red lamps have always been popular, and this one is no exception. The shade on this one is a 601R. The R denotes the shade being a reproduction, but the hand painted design looks pretty good on the lamp.
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Aladdin clear crystal Short Lincoln Drape. It does have the Solitaire foot but being a clear crystal lamp the detail of the foot is hard to see in a picture. This is an original old lamp and it is the only example of an original clear crystal Short Lincoln Drape lamp that I have ever seen. There are new examples of this lamp but they are easily identifiable by the metal burner collar. This lamp was molded in one piece and the threads for the burner are mounted within the glass at the top of the font.
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This photo shows the difference between the amber crystal Short Lincoln Drape lamp on the left, and the amber opalique Short Lincoln Drape on the right. The amber crystal lamp is fairly transparent, while the amber opalique is much more opaque. The glass of the opalique lamp appears milky, or cloudy, and the degree of the coloration will actually change depending on how light strikes the lamp. At times the lamp can appear as being almost transparent just like the amber crystal lamp, but if the light is at the proper angle it can also appear almost white.
The opalescent color of the amber opalique aladdin lamp is contained within the glass itself, and is not a finish that was applied to the glass. It is a very unusual lamp, but sad to say, was not very popular with customers. It is that fact that also makes it a very hard lamp to find.
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The newer reproduction Short Lincoln Drape lamp is on the left while the older original lamp is on the right. The newer Short Lincoln Drape lamps all use the metal burner collar to allow the burner to screw down into the font. The older lamps do have metal threads, but they are inserted down into the opening on the font and do not show.
The newer Short Lincoln Drape lamps that use the metal burner collar were and are produced under the Aladdin name and trademark. However they are not the same lamps as the original Short Lincoln rapes. They are not made from the original glass molds, and they are two piece lamps, unlike the original one piece lamps. The newer lamps are also designed to be used with model-23 burners, while the original Short Lincoln Drapes all used the model-B burner.
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The photo below compares a "Solitaire" foot with a standard Short Lincoln Drape foot. Notice the distinct step on the Solitaire foot. This feature is the basis for the term "Solitaire foot" when describing certain original Short Lincoln Drape lamps and is what distinguishes them from standard Short Lincoln Drapes. It is important to note that the Solitaire foot found on some Short Lincoln Drape lamps is not identical to the foot of the Solitaire lamp itself. The similarity lies only in the stepped design and the flat surface created by that step. By contrast, the standard Short Lincoln Drape foot has a smooth profile with no step or flat surface, as shown in the comparison photo. A Short Lincoln Drape with the Solitaire foot design can easily be overlooked if you aren't paying close attention to the design of the foot itself. It is believed that only about 15% of the Short Lincoln Drape lamps may have this feature. The clear crystal Short Lincoln Drape in this section does have the Solitaire foot design, but being clear glass the feature does not show up well in the photos. None of the newer reproduction two piece lamps will have it.
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This photo is an example of the step, with a flat surface, that can be found on the Short Lincoln Drapes with the "Solitaire foot" feature. Remember however this particular photo is of the "Solitaire" foot, so it is not meant to be an exact representation. Just remember that if you do see a flat step on a Short Lincoln Drape, instead of the more rounded design of the normal foot shown to the right, then the lamp probably does have the Solitaire foot design.
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This is the normal design of the foot found on a Short Lincoln Drape lamp. Notice the rounded feature of the edge, with no flat surface or step. Pay attention to the details of lamps you find. Don't ignore a Short Lincoln Drape just because you already have one like it. Take a close look at the foot and make sure you aren't walking past one that has the Solitaire foot feature, since they are the hardest style to find in this series.
