“To shed light on the lights of the past”
The Rushlight Club, founded in 1932 for the study and preservation of LIGHTING, is one of the oldest organizations dedicated to a single aspect of material culture.
The collecting and researching interests of members range from the earliest primitive
lighting devices through lighting by gas and electricity.
The purpose of the Club as set forth by its founders, and which remains unchanged today,
is to stimulate an interest in the study of early lighting including the use of early
lighting devices and lighting fuels, and the origins and development of each, by means of
written articles, lectures, exhibitions from private collections and if desired, through
the medium of exchange, and its object shall be to collect, preserve and disseminate
information and data obtained through these studies.
The Rushlight Club, Inc. was incorporated in 1989 as an international, educational,
non-profit, tax-exempt organization.
Written articles on research of the history, development and application of lighting,
lighting fuels and accessories are published in the Club's quarterly historical journal,
The Rushlight.
Information on lighting lectures, conferences, exhibitions from private collections and
regular meetings is published in the Club's quarterly newsletter, Flickerings
The Rushlight and Flickerings are available by membership in the Rushlight Club.
Annual Club dues are $35 US for U.S. addresses, $40 for Canadian addresses, and $45 for overseas addresses. Rushlight Club membership is on a calendar year basis. The membership year is January 1st to December 31st. Membership renewals are due by December 31st. There is a one-time new member fee of $5 US, and a reinstatement fee of $5 for all renewals that are received after February 1st.
Members receive The Rushlight and Flickerings four times a year, along with a Membership Directory and selected reprints of lighting ephemera. Members' addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses are included in the Membership Directory.
To obtain a printable copy of the membership application form, click the link below:
Rushlight Club Membership Application (pdf)
Application for membership in the Rushlight Club may also be requested from:
| Ms. Rose Homberg, Corresponding Secretary | |
| The Rushlight Club, Inc. | |
| 4508 Elsrode Ave. | |
| Baltimore, MD 21214-3107 USA | |
| Phone: 443-433-6071 | |
| e-mail: correspondingsecretary@rushlight.org |
The annual membership is based on the calendar year. Renewal notices are sent at the end of October. Membership renewals are due by December 31st. Prompt submission of dues before the start of the new year ensures uninterrupted delivery of The Rushlight and Flickerings. Make checks payable to "The Rushlight Club" and mail to:
Rushlight Club, c/o Ms. Pat Howell, 415 Walnut St., Elmhurst, IL 60126-2258
| President: | Mr. Larson Mick | mickrlarson@bellsouth.net | |
| Vice President: | Mr. John Shallcross | shallcross@xta.com | |
| Treasurer: | Ms. Pat Howell | treasurer@rushlight.org | |
| Corresponding Secretary: | Ms. Rose Homberg | correspondingsecretary@rushlight.org | |
| Recording Secretary: | Ms. Donna Schoenly | donschoenly@yahoo.com |
| Editor of The Rushlight: | Ms. Marianne Nolan | ||
| Editor of Flickerings: | Ms. Julie Leib | ||
| Bylaws Chairperson: | Mr. Keith Letsche | ||
| Finance Chairperson: | Ms. Donna Schoenly | ||
| Identification Chairperson: | Mr. Peter Gregory | rushlight_qa@rushlight.org | |
| Nominations Chairperson: | Mr. Don Schoenly | ||
| Past President: | Mr. Don Schoenly | donschoenly@aol.com | |
| Presidents Advisory Committee Chairperson: | Mr. Ed Johnson | ||
| Program Chairperson: | Mr. Don Schoenly | donschoenly@aol.com | |
| Publication Chairperson: | Mr. Dan Mattausch | ||
| Website Manager: | Mr. M.J. Howell | webmaster@rushlight.org |
The following Rushlight Club Publications may be purchased directly from the Club:
The following Rushlight publications are available on the website:
The following publications may be purchased from the Rushlight Club:
| Hotel: | Best Western Parkway Inn & Conference Center |
| Address: | 1515 Vincent Massey Dr. |
| Cornwall, Ontario, K6H 5R6 | |
| Phone: | 613-932-0451 x 157 |
| Website: | http://bestwesterncornwall.com/ |
Room rate: $110 single, $119 double plus taxes per night. Mention HLSC and make reservations before September 14th to receive this rate.
| Saturday meeting fees : | ||
| Lunch and meeting | $40/person | |
| Lunch, meeting & dinner | $80/person | |
All attendees are requested to register in advance for the meeting. Registration packages will be mailed to members with the latest Contact. Non HLSC members wishing to attend the meeting should contact David Smuck , HLSC Treasurer 1481 Line 43 Perth Ontario N3A 3Z3 or call 519-656-2889 or email smuckd@sympatico.ca for details and to obtain registration materials. To facilitate planning please return completed registrations to David Smuck before September 30th.
A self guided tour of the Robert H. Saunders St Lawrence Generating Station, Cornwall has been arranged for Saturday morning 9 – 11 am. Registration opens at 11 am at the Best Western Inn. The Saturday program includes lunch, a Theme Table ( The Swan Song of Kerosene Lighting – Lamps from 1900 – 1925 ), a Show & Tell Table and a silent auction. The guest speaker for the meeting will be Lindsay Lambert with his Magic Lantern Show. The HLSC optional dinner will follow the meeting and the Hospitality Room will open after dinner.
For the Friday evening program, Joe Barton has arranged a special presentation by the Lost Villages Historical Society . The Lost Villages were 10 communities in Cornwall and Osnabruck townships that were permanently submerged by the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Saunders power dam in 1958. The presentation will start at 7:30. As usual membership in HLSC is not a requirement to attend the Friday night program. Like the Friday Night Seminars, it is free and open to the public.
Please call Stan Walker at 705-636-9530 or email lampcollectors@gmail.com to reserve a spot.
For additional information, visit the HLSC website: www.historical-lighting.org.
| Hotel: | Quality Inn (formerly Holiday Inn) |
| Address: | 5501 National Road East |
| Richmond, Indiana | |
| Phone: | 765-966-7511 |
| Website: | www.qualityinn.com/hotel-richmond-indiana-IN038 |
Room rate: A special room rate of $76.95 per night plus tax, hot breakfast included, is available until October 3rd. Mention the Mideast Lighting Meet for the special rate.
The meeting registration fee is $15.00 per family.
Show Schedule:
Room trading usually begins mid-week. The Saturday lamp show will be from 9:00
AM to 3:00 PM for show registrants and will be open to the public from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM with an admission of $3.00 at the door.
Snacks will be served at noon and there will be a raffle at 1:30PM.
A special dinner menu will be available on Saturday at 5:00 PM for $15.00.
The 7:00 PM Saturday evening program will be announced
For additional information contact: Bob or Laura Daniels at 309-385-2337 or email: aladdin4742@yahoo.com