More Breyer Lamps: Ranchcraft Lamps by Dunning Industries

Breyer models have been featured on lamps made by a variety of companies over the years, but probably the best known and most ubiquitous are the Ranchcraft lamps made by Dunning Industries of Greensboro, North Carolina. Dunning used both woodgrain and realistically painted models on their lamps, but the woodgrains seem to be more numerous. I had planned to tackle the subject of Breyer lamps in chronological order since I sort of accidentally started out at the beginning with Marks Manufacturing lamps, but as I was researching Dunning Industries in recent weeks, I realized that I needed to tell this story before I tackle the rest.

A typical woodgrain Dunning lamp with the
 original burlap shade (photo by Amanda Reed)

The primary reason for this is Dunning's history and dates of operation. Like many other collectors, I assumed that Dunning started business sometime in the 1950s and likely produced their lamps into the early 1970s. Collectors have speculated that in addition to the typical woodgrain lamps, Dunning may have also made the Davy Crockett and Lucky Ranger lamps on plaster bases that date to the mid-1950s (the subject of my next post) and that they may also have made the night lights. As lovely as it would be to wrap up a couple of Breyer mysteries so neatly, I now have conclusive evidence that neither of those suppositions can be true. To wit, Dunning Industries didn't exist until 1964. 

The story begins with John Miles Dunning III, age 33, a resident of Greensboro, North Carolina, who, in his capacity as "a manufacturer's representative for several furniture companies," attended a furniture expo in Chicago in 1964. [1] While there, it occurred to him that there was a gap in the market for floor and table lamps, and on his long drive home, he stopped in hardware stores and five-and-dimes in the small towns along his route, buying "kerosene lanterns, horseshoes, the old fashion type of water pumps, miniature coin banks, barrels, and antique jugs and bottles" to turn into lamp bases. [2] He and his wife then cannibalized electrical parts from old lamps and literally began their new business venture on their kitchen table. 

John Dunning [3]

Dunning then took samples of his wares to a regional furniture market, and within three days, he had over $20,000 in orders. (That's the equivalent of a little over $215,000 in 2026.) The furniture companies he worked for all subsequently fired him when they realized he was their new competition. Dunning took it in stride, and with the help of his wife and next door neighbor (who became the company vice president), he turned Dunning Industries into the world's largest manufacturer of wood lamps in just four years. [4]

Dunning had taken shop classes in high school and had had a summer job demonstrating how to use woodworking tools for Sears, so his company produced all of the wood components for their lamps in-house. The Dunning "factory" moved from the family's kitchen table to a tavern basement to a series of multiple buildings before finally getting its own purpose-built plant in 1969. By this time, Dunning had started traveling to Europe to find miscellaneous statues, architectural sculpture bits, and figurines that he could cast copies of in wood-like composition to use for his lamps, as mirror frames, wall decor, and more. [5] 

In October of 1969, only five years after starting the business, Dunning sold the company to American Interiors, Inc, of Danville, Virginia. [6] He stayed on as chairman for another year before leaving to start a new company, Dunning Limited, that made wooden end tables and other furniture. The company was still in business as late as 1980. John Dunning retired at some point but apparently continued to enjoy woodworking. He passed away April 18, 2002. [7]

Meanwhile, Dunning Industries, his original lamp company, continued on under new leadership until June 1983 when a catastrophic warehouse fire brought the business to a screeching halt. The fire marshal determined that the cause of the fire was arson, and while the company owner said he planned to move the company to Lexington, Kentucky, by February 1984, the employees had been let go and all of the surviving factory machinery had been listed for sale. [8]

So now that we know Dunning Industries wasn't founded until 1964, we can safely conclude that they can't possibly have made any of the 1950s Breyer lamps. Likewise, given that some Breyer night lights clearly date to the 1950s (the Proud Arabian Mare night lights, for example), we can rule out Dunning as the source of those as well. 

I don't know when Dunning first ordered Breyer models for his lamps, but I can't help but wonder if he saw some woodgrain models while in Chicago in 1964. Given that a few factory-painted-over-decorators have appeared on Dunning lamps, I would guess they were available by 1965 or so (the decorator line having been discontinued in 1964). Also, the woodgrain Brahma model was last available as a regular run in 1965. Provided Dunning didn't special order any after the fact, we know those lamps likely date to Dunning's second year of business (maybe even the first). (That might also explain why the Brahma lamps are fairly uncommon.)

Bay Running Mare and Foal lamp with
original leather Dunning hang tag
(photo by Danielle Cutshall)

The foal on Danielle's lamp is chalky bay factory
painted over a decorator (because the decorators
sold poorly and were thus repurposed)

My own chalky Running Foal lamp painted over gold charm
(Note the interesting round bases on both of these!)
(Wellman collection)

Occasionally, 1970s oil crisis era chalky models turn up on Dunning lamps as well, specifically Donkeys, leading me to think that Dunning was still ordering Breyers at least as late as 1973 or 1974. They were for sure still available as late as 1972 based on this Miller Stockman ad (scroll down) on the excellent Breyer Horse Reference site. That said, given that we don't see models from the mid- to late-1970s on Dunning lamps, I suspect that that was likely the tail end of the association between the two companies.

A pair of chalky Donkey lamps my mom and I found. They
are green plastic underneath. (Wellman collection)

So it seems likely that Dunning made lamps featuring Breyer models for only about ten years, roughly 1964-1974, give or take. But they certainly made them in large numbers and with quite a variety of horses and animals, so happily for collectors, many of them are quite affordable. The most easily found lamps feature woodgrain Fighting Stallions, woodgrain Family Arabian Foals, and woodgrain Running Mares and Foals. 

Woodgrain Fighting Stallion lamp showing 
the typical Dunning burlap shade and 
rectangular base with routed edge
(Photo by Sande Schneider)

Many of the woodgrain models on lamps are unusually dark brown, much darker then the average non-lamp woodgrains. Dunning may have specially requested the color to match the lamp bases. Or, since some of the woodgrain lamps were definitely ordered after the regular run woodgrains were discontinued, the darker color may be the result of later requests. For example, the woodgrain Running Mare and Foal were made from 1963-1965, but the Miller Stockman ad linked above shows that they were available on lamps from Dunning in 1972. The woodgrain Fighting Stallion, Running Mare and Foal lamps, and Running Foal wall sconce lamps are often darker toned.

This dark woodgrain Fighting Stallion was
once on a lamp (Wellman collection)

Some of the more common lamps I mentioned above also come in realistic colors that are often a bit harder to find. The Family Arabian Foal lamps can be found in matte palomino...

(Wellman collection)

and the Fighting Stallion lamps turn up in matte bay, and much less often, in glossy palomino.

(Photo by Des Corbett)

The Running Mare and Running Foal lamps are pretty easily found in woodgrain or bay, but they also come in a couple of fun variations that are harder to find. I've seen a lamp featuring a bay mare and woodgrain foal as well as an alabaster mare and smoke foal (and possibly vice versa, too). They can also occasionally be found in glossy dapple grey. My sister and I are lucky enough to each own an example of this pretty lamp.

(Wellman collection)

 
While most Dunning lamps have rectangular bases about an inch thick with a routed bevel along the top edge, other base shapes and styles have been found. As we saw above, some of the Running Mares and Running Foals came on oval, unbeveled bases. This Rearing Stallion lamp has a simple rectangular base with no flourishes.

(Photo by Katie Foley)

 
Several more elaborate bases are also known, and they all seem to be quite scarce. This sweet lamp features two woodgrain Shetlands on a tall, 2-part oval base. Woodgrain Quarter Horse Geldings and Family Arabian Stallions have also been seen on these bases. 

(Photo by Des Corbett)

In addition to table lamps, Dunning also made Breyer sconce lamps that featured woodgrain Running Foals.

Sconce lamp with shade
(Photo by Sande Schneider)

A few other horse molds occasionally turn up lamps like the bay Clydesdale Stallion and woodgrain Family Arabian Mare. The Grazing Mare and Foal can also be found, but rarely. I've seen a few examples of matte palomino and matte bay...

(Photo by Debbie Thomas)

...which brings me to the subject of some of the most rare and desirable Dunning lamps. A handful of models that were not released as glossy regular runs can be found in glossy on Dunning lamps. Some of them have decorative rope trim around the base, such as this glossy palomino Grazing Mare and Foal lamp. All of the glossy lamps are quite scarce.

(Wellman collection)

The glossy smoke Belgian is probably the most desirable of the Dunning Horse lamps.

(Photo by Rachel Bergman)

At least three animal molds were also glossed for Dunning lamps, the Longhorn, the Buffalo, and the Elephant. (We do own an example of the latter, but I don't have a photo of it yet. It's on the ever-growing to-do list!) 

Glossy Longhorn lamp (Wellman collection)

Glossy Buffalo lamp (Wellman collection)

While these glossy animal lamps are very rare, Dunning happily offered a variety of other more common animal molds on lamps, both in woodgrain and in realistic colors. 

Woodgrain Longhorn lamp with original
shade and hang tag
(Photo by Stephanie Blaylock)

Bighorn ram lamp (Wellman collection)

And lastly, we come to two of the rarest Dunning lamps, the woodgrain Hereford and woodgrain Buffalo. Unlike the other woodgrains found on Dunning lamps, neither the Hereford nor the Buffalo were ever offered in woodgrain as regular runs. They were special orders by Dunning and are usually only found on lamps. I am aware of two freestanding woodgrain Herefords, one with holes drilled in the bottom of his feet to go on a lamp. I don't know of any freestanding woodgrain Buffalo.

(Wellman collection)

A pair of woodgrain Buffalo lamps (Wellman collection)

Some Dunning lamps have been found with original hang tags. The vast majority of them are leather, but my sister and I also have a paper one. (Another photo I need to take.)

A typical leather hang tag (Wellman collection)

A few of them still have stickers as well declaring that the bases are made of solid oak. Here's one on the base of our matte Elephant lamp. 

My sister and I own many Dunning lamps, more than 45 at last count, and often in duplicate or even in triplicate. (When you keep finding cheap Donkey lamps at antique malls, you buy all 4 of them. I don't make the rules.) So that said, I am rather behind in photographing our collection. I am hoping to remedy that to some degree at the holidays and maybe see how many of our lamp models have USA stamps versus those that don't. I suspect Dunning lamps featuring Breyers were probably being phased out in the early 1970s, but I would be curious to have some more solid data on that.   

In the meantime, I thought it might be handy to compile a list of known Dunning lamps. If I've forgotten any, please feel free to comment below, and I'll update the list. Also, if you have a photo of what you think is a Dunning lamp that I've neglected to mention here, please feel free to email a photo to me at mumtazmahal@gmail.com


Bear and Cub: Usually brown, at least one known with brown mama and black cub

Bighorn Ram: Brown

Brahma: Woodgrain

Buffalo: Matte brown, glossy brown, woodgrain

Clydesdale Stallion: Bay

Donkey: Grey (often chalky)

Elephant: Matte grey, glossy grey

Family Arabian Foal: Matte palomino, woodgrain

Family Arabian Mare: Woodgrain

Family Arabian Stallion: Woodgrain

Fighting Stallion: Matte bay (at least one chalky), glossy palomino, woodgrain

Grazing Mare and Foal: Matte bay, matte palomino, glossy palomino

Hereford: Woodgrain

Longhorn: Matte tan, glossy tan, woodgrain

Quarter Horse Gelding: Woodgrain

Rearing Stallion: Matte bay, matte palomino

Running Mare and Foal: Matte bay (foals sometimes chalky), woodgrain, bay and woodgrain combo, alabaster and smoke combo, glossy dapple grey

Running Foal: Matte bay (sometimes chalky), woodgrain (as sconce)

Shetland: Woodgrain (pair)


Thank you to everyone who contributed photos to this post! I plan to cover the rest of the lamps by known manufacturers in the coming weeks, and then I'll write a catch-all post for the mysteries that do not appear to be aftermarket. As always, thanks for reading!

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Works Cited:

1) Conrad Paysour, "Old Gadgets Light Up Huge Lamp Business," Greensboro Daily News, May 7, 1967, 59. 

2) Ibid.

3) Ibid.

4) Conrad Paysour, "Dunning Industries to Build New Plant on I-85," Greensboro Daily News, March 19, 1969, 13.

5) Eleanor Kennedy, "Dunning Makes it Lightweight," Greensboro Daily News, March 27, 1969, 14.

6) Ellen Scarborough, "He Changes Basic Ideas into Money," The Charlotte Observer, October 22, 1972, 71.

7) Obituaries, News and Record, April 19, 2002, 21.

8) Staff, "Detectives: Building Set On Fire," Greensboro Daily News, June 17, 1983, 3.

Breyer Race Horse and Boxer Lamps: More From Marks Manufacturing?

Back in 2013, I wrote a post about the earliest lamps featuring Breyer horses, the "scroll base" lamps of the early 1950s. At the time, my mom, sister, and I had acquired an example that still had the manufacturer's name on the underside of the base. They were made by the Marks Manufacturing Company, another local Chicago business that ordered models from Breyer beginning in the 1950s, not unlike Mastercrafters Clock and Radio Company (clocks) and Sears (music boxes, grooming kits, etc).

Over the years, we've accidentally acquired almost a dozen copies of this lamp with all three base colors: 5 on green bases, at least 3 on brown bases, and 2 more on black bases. (Yes, we need to cull a few, haha.) I noticed that some of the horses had holes in the side of their barrels on the back side with evidence of wear around them, as if something had been affixed to the horse. Eventually, we acquired the very hard to find Western Pony version of this lamp, and I finally understood the hole and wear.

As you can see, there is a little metal band screwed into the pony that holds it to the lamp pole, presumably to keep it from wobbling on the base (or to further secure it to the base). We have since acquired several of the Western Horse lamps that also have the little band as well.

Recently, as my sister and I were getting ready for the BreyerFest open show, I was reminded of an unusual feature on another pair of lamps we own. Both of our hard to find Race Horse lamps sport a little band holding them to the lamp post that is identical to the one on our Western Pony lamp.

 

 

And there is yet another lamp to consider in this little mystery series. For quite some time, I had the Boxer lamp pictured below on my eBay watch list. He was pricey and in need of a lot of TLC, but happily, the seller accepted an offer I made, and I was able to add him to my collection. (He's fixed in Photoshop only, not yet in reality.)

As you can see, he is mounted on a base just like the one on the Race Horse lamp, but it's mauve instead of gold. The Boxer is mounted diagonally across the base since he's a bit bigger than the Race Horse, and that's the only way he fits (and barely at that). I was intrigued to see the hole and wear on the backside of the dog just like on the models on the scroll base lamps. He must have had a metal band holding him to the lamp pole once as well. (You have no idea the restraint I'm using not to make jokes about metal bands right now.) 

 

Until now, I'd been clueless about who made the Race Horse lamps, and I could only guess that they dated to the 1950s. Having gathered all of these clues together however, I'm certain that the Race Horse and Boxer lamps were made by the same manufacturer, and while I can't prove it for sure without more evidence, I strongly suspect they were also made by Marks Manufacturing. The little metal bands holding the models to the lamp poles are the primary clue, and while that may not seem like much, I've never seen anything like it on Breyer lamps made by other manufacturers. Also of note is that the rounded embellishments at the base of the lamp poles is consistent on the scroll base, Race Horse, and Boxer lamps which suggests to me that they all came from the same maker. Both our Race Horse lamps and the Boxer lamp have felt covering the bottom of the bases (which are hollow), so if there is something there to identify the manufacturer, it is unfortunately covered. 

Another interesting aspect to consider is that the Boxer and Race Horse models are both very early Breyer releases just like the Western Horse and Western Pony. The former was available in 1950 and the latter probably by the end of 1952. The scroll base lamps were likely made sometime between 1950/1951 and, given the scarcity of the Western Pony lamps, probably not later than 1953. Like the Western Pony, the Boxer was also likely available by late 1952, so it fits the early 1950s time frame. The Race Horse, Breyer's fourth mold, was available by 1954 for sure, but I do wonder if it might have been ready earlier in 1953, perhaps for Christmas orders. 

Whatever the case, the Race Horse and Boxer lamps are both quite scarce. I've seen one or two more Race Horse lamps besides the pair my sister and I own, but I haven't seen another Boxer lamp. I have to assume this means that neither were in production long, and if they are in fact Marks products, my best guess is that they both date to sometime around 1953-1955. I can't prove that Marks made the Race Horse or Boxer lamps nor exactly when they were made, but I feel like I have laid out a reasonable hypothesis.

If you have a Race Horse or Boxer lamp or something else entirely on a metal base with one of those funny little bands attaching the model to the lamp pole, I'd love to know about it!

Viking BreyerFest, Denouement: Signs and Loot but no Glossy Flinka

On Saturday after the raffle, Sarah and I finally made it back to the CHIN to do some more shopping and to hopefully find friends we had not yet managed to track down. As usual, the room sales signs were abundant and excellent.

Check and check

We didn't get through the whole hotel again this year nor did we find everyone, but one of these years we'll manage it. We really need to add a couple of days to our trip to cram in everything we want to do---maybe Breyer can organize a strictly social day where all we do is meet in a big room with food, drinks, and maybe Stablemate painting or coloring, and we just jabber and do art all day long. That would be fun!

On Sunday morning, we rolled out of Lexington and had an uneventful drive back home. I stayed over an extra day on Monday just to relax with my family, take loot pix, and box up my new ponies to send home to myself in Chicago. Other than the BF special runs I bought, most everything else was inexpensive. 

I am slowly filling in some gaps in my collection of nostalgic 1980s special runs I missed out on (because I was a kid not yet tuned in to the hobby). So I was especially pleased to find the 1984 JC Penneys special run grey Appaloosa Performance Horse for only $30 on Saturday evening. It's a model I've wanted for years, but the right one just never came along at the right price and time. I was really delighted with this bargain. 

Sorry, not unwrapping the antlers

All in all, it was an excellent BreyerFest although it flew by in a blur as it always seems to. I wish I had more time to hang out with my sister and family and the friends we only see once a year. (Can we all go back right now and do it again?)

As I mentioned in my last post, the only thing I really hoped to get at BF this year was a glossy Flinka. Alas, my diorama contest entry was not a winning one. I think it was perhaps too serious with its historical bent and needed more whimsy. But nerds gonna nerd, what can you do. 

My entry was called "Just Fjord Your Information" and it represented young Auslaug and her pony Tuppa giving a presentation about Scandinavian horse and pony breeds at the Hjemkommst Festival in Moorhead, MN, my home state. There really is a seaworthy replica of a Viking longboat in the museum where the festival is held. Auslaug was named for one of my great-grandmothers, and Tuppa was the Norwegian nickname my grandfather called my mom as a little girl.

I customized and painted the pony, made the doll dress and pony bridle based on historical Viking-era artefacts, and I painted the Viking ship my SO sweetly 3D printed for me. I did at least end up with a cute custom Fjord model for myself even if I didn't get a glossy Flinka, and I learned the valuable lesson that making doll clothes and tack is largely outside of my skill set. I marvel at the people who have the patience and nimble fingers to do these things well!

I really, really wanted a glossy Flinka because I conga the Astrid mold and have all of them outside of auction models so far (matte Flinka pictured above)...

All 4 Astrids are different: 2 glossy, 2 matte, rosy toned, 
cool toned, and one is chalky

...so I'm going to have to start saving up to buy a glossy Flinka to make my ancestors proud and keep my little herd complete. If you happen to be selling one and are interested in steady monthly income over the course of most of a year, please hit me up! 

Viking BreyerFest, Part 3: The Park, Ponies, and Pretty Things

On Saturday, we slept in a bit before getting properly caffeinated for the day. We then made a quick run to the park to buy raffle tickets and pick up our celebration models and special runs. 

We usually go in the back way behind the covered arena so we don't have to look for a parking place in the lot and then traipse all the way through the park over to the covered arena. 

While waiting in line to buy tickets, we admired the silent auction items on display.

Glossy versions of the Scandi Surprise horses

Cassowary test for the Birds of a Feather series

Lovely customs by Karen Gerhardt

A factory custom test Foalzilla with a flippy tail

Glossy Flinka diorama contest prize model, the only model I 
really wanted at BF this year

Saturday raffle model

 

Sunday raffle model

While making a quick sweep through the arena vendors, we spotted Öjvind performing with other Gotland ponies. He's so tiny! Breyer featured him on the new Highland Pony mold this year which was a must buy for me.

We headed back to our hotel at that point to grab a quick lunch and leave our models in our nice cool room. We had hoped to spend part of the afternoon at the CHIN before taking a shuttle back out to the park for the raffle. However, none of the shuttles operated until about 5pm, so we opted to just kill a few hours at the park instead. It was a hot, humid day (although honestly not as bad as many years have been), so we thought doing some things in the air conditioning like checking out the gift shop and museum would be a good idea.

In through the front gates this time

After you pass through the gates, you cross over a pretty stone bridge which usually spans a mostly dry creek. This year with all of the heavy rain, the creek was burbling and full. 

Before we made our way to the visitors' center and gift shop, we took a detour to stroll down the shady avenue to pay our respects to Man O' War.

The most hallowed patch of ground in Kentucky

Then, after mostly behaving ourselves in the gift shop...

We didn't do this, but we definitely laughed

 ...we were pleased to see the auction models still on display. Not that we had the means to do anything more than ogle them, but they were fun to see up close all the same. 

My favorite piece

Wouldn't kick this one out of bed for eating crackers either

Not my favorite mold, but the pattern is stupendous

As we left the visitors' center, we passed by this giant photo frame with blue Lexington... 

...which, having given my sister the book Horse by Geraldine Brooks, reminded me of something I wanted to show her in the museum. Criminally, she has not yet read the book, so seeing the real Lexington in person probably fell a bit flat, but I nerded out enough for the both of us. The museum has been rearranged a bit since last we visited, but it's always a treat to see this hoary old legend of the turf. (The book is a fictionalized account of Lexington's life, but it's a terrific read. Kleenex required.)

When we entered the museum, a group had been out front demonstrating how horse hair pottery is made, and as we left the museum, the celebration horse, Flinka the Fjord, was there donating some hair to the project. We were delighted to have the opportunity to photograph and pet her. She was so flipping cute!

The sky was getting overcast by this point, and it was time to make our way back over to the covered arena for the raffle anyway. We followed some of the park's mounted police and detoured through their barn en route.

Oliver, a past BF celebration horse

Obligatory barn kitty

A very cute, on theme jump we passed near the covered arena.

We bought our usual $20 worth of raffle tickets (which used to get you 22 tickets but now only gets you 16), and to the surprise of absolutely no one, we did not win. (Although someone else who bought only $20 worth of tickets did get drawn, so it's not completely hopeless.) But I really never expect to be drawn. When you're only 1 for 37, it's more about masochistic tradition (and donating to a good cause) than anything else. 

The raffle crowd

This post ended up being longer than I planned, so I'll leave things here for now, and I'll share the wrap up and loot pix in a day or two!