cameo portrait of a lady with bow and ribbon garland, 4 1/2" X 5" with 2 1/4" fitter, unsigned, excellent............By the last quarter of the nineteenth century, most American cities were completing the conversion from gas and oil lighting to lighting powered by electricity. Rather than have a fairly large central oil lamp around which the family gathered, smaller electrical lights could now be placed throughout the house.Glass makers responded to the huge demand for new electric lighting with a new, smaller type of shade. This new shade could be used singly in small lamps and holders or grouped together to build up large fixtures. The majority of these new shades designed for electric lighting were about 4″-6″ in length, 3″-6″ in diameter and had 2¼â€³ fitter rims.Steuben, Quezal and other American glass houses quickly recognized this new market and adapted their production to meet the need. The high quality smaller art glass shades were made primarily between 1900 and the beginning of the depression in the late 1920s. In this article we'll discuss how to determine if a shade is an original or one of the many reproductions now in the market. When we use the term "art glass shade" in this article, it will refer to shades made primarily for electric lighting, ca. 1900-1930 with a 2¼â€³ fitter rim. STEUBEN Not all original Steuben pre-1930 art glass shades were marked

excellent