COOPERSTOWN, NY - The Rushlight Club, an International Association of collectors and students of historic lighting, will host a lecture/demonstration by Joel Paradis of the unique vapor chandeliers which lit the great hall of the Hyde Hall mansion in the 1830's. 

The session will be held in the dining room of the Hyde Hall, inside Glimmerglass State Park, Cooperstown, NY, at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 12, 2009.  Other forms of lighting will also be demonstrated and compared, including candle power, a whale oil lamp and other lighting available during that era.  Following the session there will be a tour of the mansion and the unusual heating, plumbing and early technological installations which made it state of the art in the 1820's and 30's.The public is invited to attend at no charge, but a donation would be appreciated. 

Although one chandelier has been totally restored, the Rushlight Club would like to help Hyde Hall, Inc. start a fund dedicated to the restoration of the two remaining vapor lamp chandeliers that used to be part of this wonderful structure.

Hyde Hall, Inc. is a not-for-profit house museum located inside Glimmerglass State Park on Otsego County Route 31, eight miles north of Cooperstown, NY on the east side of Otsego Lake.  The 50 room mansion is open to the public every day for tours and events from Mother's Day weekend through the last weekend of October, with tours beginning on the hour at 10:00 a.m. and the last tour beginning at 4:00 p.m. (depending on availability of light).