Riviere Studios Lamps

The Riviere Brass & Bronze Works marketed etched metal art glass lamps and desk accessories under the name “Riviere Studios”.  Paul Riviere, for whom the company is named, was a master metal smith. Mr. Riviere worked for a number of lighting companies before opening The Riviere Brass & Bronze Works in New York in 1904. The Riviere Brass & Bronze Works was open until 1931, when the company was finally forced to close due to The Great Depression.

Riviere Studios, as the company is known in the antique world, did very little advertising and was only rarely mentioned in the trade journals. Most of the details about the day-to-day operations of Riviere Studios come from Paul Riviere’s son’s diary. Paul Jr. started working for Riviere Studios in 1906.

Riviere Studios is most well-known for its etched metal overlay lamps, but the company also made leaded glass mosaic lamps. Unlike the matching desk accessories, the metal overlay lamps are frequently not signed. Attribution of lamps to Riviere Studios is problematic because Mr. Riviere frequently copied the designs of others and did not use distinctive hardware in his lamps. Therefore, most Riviere Studios lamps are identified from their bases.

An authentic Riviere Studios lamp in good condition, with no cracked or missing pieces, is very desirable and can be worth anything from several hundred dollars to several thousand.

If you have a Riviere Studios lamp you would like to know more about, send us an email with a picture of it and we’d be happy to give you our opinion and make a purchase offer.

If you aren’t sure what kind of old lamp you have, ask us about it! We’re always happy tell our customers more about their old lamps.

Here are some frequently asked questions about Riviere Studios lamps:

Where can I sell my Riviere Studios lamp?
How much is a Riviere Studios lamp worth?
Was my unsigned lamp made by the Riviere Studios?

Also see:   Roycroft, Chicago Mosaic, Tiffany, J.A. Whaley, Duffner and Kimberly, Handel, Pairpoint, Wilkinson, Electric Lamps