It’s a lamp. Believe it or not, its a lamp. It has sat beside the floral printed arm chair in my Gramma’s living room for as long as I can possibly remember. I called her to brain storm objects to write about for this assignment, she suggested the lamp and told me about it. And although I have seen, touched, turned on, and pondered about this lamp the entirety of my short life my reaction was “Oh thats what that thing is?!?”
This lamp has had a long and eventful life. So long in fact, that it wasn’t even born a lamp! It was originally a saddle makers bench. The two clamp like protrusions at the top were used to hold the leather for the saddle as it was hand stitched. Often times the saddle maker or even a farrier would build the bench themselves. This one in particular doesn’t have a known origin or creator. But after it served its time as a saddle makers bench, it fell into the world of antiques. The bench was purchased by a Marianne Secore, referred to by her maiden name Miss. Mitchell. Miss. Mitchell worked at my Grandpa’s food distribution company, Nichols Distributing, as a secretary accountant. The bench was in her care for some time, and during that time her husband converted the bench to a lamp. The reason for which survives only within his mind I am afraid.
In1963, Miss. Mitchell gave the now electrically illuminated bench to to Gramma and Grampa as a Christmas gift. I would foresee that as being an odd gift to receive from your secretary, but they must have liked it in some strange way because it hasn’t left their house since. Despite the fact that its ancient clamps are now being held together with a rubber band. They must have loved that thing so much that when Miss. Mitchell died, my grandparents adopted several more of her antiques from her estate sale. Perhaps they thought the bench needed company that reminds it of its previous owners, they ones that gave it light.
(above: my uncle Nick at 10 at Nichols Distributing with Miss. Mitchell)
That bench has done something that no human being can. It has transformed from one thing to another. Taken on tasks that in its former life were unimaginable. And its transformation was not out of necessity, the bench did not become a lamp because it was obsolete. Although about 80% of saddles today are made by machine, 20% are still hand sewn. And many craftsmen from that 20% still work on a saddle makers bench just like this one. So why change it, why alter an object from its intended purpose? Maybe Mr. Secore just needed a lamp. Maybe he was trying to find a way to justify keeping the old thing. Or maybe he say that deep down, that bench was destined to be a lamp.
The Materials of History, Thought, and Art 
This is so interesting! When I first saw it, I thought it was a reading chair with a lamp attached, like some great innovation from years ago. But I love that it was two functional objects combined into a new, interesting object. I also love that your grandparents kept it all those years, and that it has become a part of your childhood memories. I wonder, what are the future plans for this curious creation?
When I first saw it I did think the object looked like a lamp but I did not know that that object underwent such and interesting transformation. I love how you personified the object by stating “it has lived a long and eventful life” and went into detail about the experiences that object has been through. It’s amazing how objects can be seen in such a way; they do have different stages of “being” just as we humans do and this blog post definitely made me think about that. It truly has lived a long life and is a great object to write about. I also like how you reflected on the reason for its being altered…I do think that it was the bench’s destiny to become a lamp as well. Very vibrant post!