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 Club was incorporated in 1989 as The Rushlight Club, Inc., an international, educational, non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3), organization. The collecting and research 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, is to stimulate an interest in early lighting and in the study of the origin, development and use of early lighting devices and lighting fuels. The Club's objective shall be to collect, preserve and disseminate information and research data obtained through these studies by means of written articles, lectures and exhibitions.
Written articles concerning the history, development and application of lighting, lighting fuels and accessories are published in the Club's journal, The Rushlight. See Selected Rushlight Articles
Information about Club meetings, lamp shows, lighting lectures, conferences and exhibitions is published in the Club's quarterly newsletter, Flickerings and on this website.
The Rushlight Club offers a public forum on this website (Q&A Forum) where anyone can ask for help with the identification of lighting items or with lighting-related research.
The Rushlight and Flickerings are available only by membership in the Rushlight Club.
Club members receive The Rushlight journal and the Flickerings newsletter along with occasional reprints of lighting ephemera and a Membership Directory. All members are encouraged to attend Club meetings which focus on various aspects of lighting. View Reports of Previous Club Meetings
Annual dues are $35 for U.S. members, $40 (USD) for Canadian and $45 (USD) for overseas members. The membership year is January 1st to December 31st. New members will also receive the current Membership Directory and selected reprints of lighting ephemera.
The Membership Directory includes information about the Club and the name, address and collecting interests of members. Members may optionally include their telephone number and email address in the Directory.
Click the link below for a printable membership form:
Rushlight Club New Membership Application (pdf)
Application for membership in the Rushlight Club may also be requested from:
Renewal notices for the coming year are sent to Club members at the end of October and 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 Mr. Larson Mick, 3101 Anderson Pike, Signal Mountain, TN 37377-1421
The following Publications may be purchased directly from the Club:
The 2024 Spring meeting will be held in the historic Cape May, New Jersey area April 18th through
April 21st . Friday activities start at 9:30 AM in the morning so plan your arrival accordingly.
The Grand Hotel
1045 Beach Ave. Cape May, NJ 08204
609-884-5611
Details on room reservations and rates are shown on the meeting registration form (link below).
The cutoff date for our rate is March 29, 2024.
Spring 2024 Member Meeting Registration (pdf)
The 2024 dates are July 21st to July 28th.
The meeting hotel will again be at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria, Illinois.
Additional information is available on the Aladdin Lamp Collectors website.
The Rushlight Club Inc. ©2024 www.rushlight.org