This shade is one of my favorites. I have it on a tall Alacite Lincoln drape lamp in our coffee room so I get to see it every morning. It is the No. 380-variegated Whip-o-Lite shade from 1948. This one is a 14 inch flocked shade. The design was quite popular and the same flocked design can be found on 16 inch shades and even some of Aladdin's electric lamp shades.
Does this design look familiar? Yes, it is the same as the previous No. 380-variegated Whip-o-lite shade from 1948, except it isn't flocked. The strange thing is that no literature I have available mentions a different design number for this style of 380 shade.
I had never seen this shade until a pair of them came up for sale at an auction. I was lucky enough to acquire both of them when they did. Is it a newer version of the same shade? A reproduction?
I don't think so. You can see by the way it lights up that it really is a Whip-o-Lite shade, and not parchment, or an Alpha paper type shade. Since the production of Whip-o-Lite shade paper ceased in 1956, this shade has to date back to at least that date. Also since the pattern matches that of the flocked No. 380-variegated shade I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that this shade also dates to 1948. Why there is not another design number for it is a mystery and will probably remain so.
This is another shade that really shows the different characteristic of the Aladdin Whip-o-Lite shades when lit and not lit. When you look at the bottom photo of the shade when it isn't lit the flowers are a grayish blue color, so where does all the pink and dark red come from when it's lit?? These shades really do have two personalities. Don't try to understand it, just enjoy it!
