intact american 19th century eastlake or aesthetic movement interior residential ornamental cast bronze wall-mount gas sconce fixture designed and fabricated by thackara sons & co., philadelphia, pa. the c. 1885 gasolier retains the original shade fitter with set screws. intact and original wheel cut crystal glass bowl shade. the nicely aged surface patina was left untouched. the intricate filigree and exotic organic design motifs are exceptional both in design and execution. the brightly colored lowery glazed majolica ceramic component used to greatly accentuate the fixture is all original and intact with light surface crazing evident. the front parlor room gas fixture was salvaged from the extant david c. cook mansion, located in elgin, il. david c. cook, founder of a prominent religious publishing operation, built the high victorian queen anne chateauesque style mansion on the corner of gifford and division streets in 1885. in 1945 the grand residence was converted (i.e., modernized and expanded) into the mary margaret nursing home and later renamed the bowes retirement center. fortunately, interior elegant furnishings located on both the first and second floors were left intact from the time of mr. cook's occupancy. the fate of the house remains uncertain. the thackara mfg. co. of philadelphia was established in 1842 by benjamin thackara sr., who for an extended period of time, worked with cornelius & baker, which during the mid-19th century was the largest gas fixture concern in the united states. when this firm went out of business. a number of years later, mr. thackara joined the house of miskey & merrill, which firm was succeeded by thackara, buck & co., who, on the retirement of mr. buck, became thackara, sons & co. and later the thackara mfg. company. measures 10 inches long and 12 inches tall, with a shade diameter of 8 inches.