Nickel plate is a thin coating of nickel applied, usually by electroplating, to objects of brass, copper, steel or other base metals in order to give them a hard, bright, silvery finish that resists tarnish and wear. The coating provides both decorative appeal and protection against corrosion.
Commercial nickel plating developed in the second half of the nineteenth century and was soon widely used on bicycles, sewing machines, scientific instruments, lamps, bathroom fittings, hardware, shop fittings and car parts. Its soft, silvery sheen became especially fashionable in the 1920s and 1930s, when Art Deco and modernist designers used nickel-plated metal for lighting, furniture frames, cocktail accessories and door furniture, before chrome plating largely replaced it. Nickel plate can be distinguished from chrome by its softer, warmer tone, and from silver plate by its harder appearance and lack of silver marks. Over time nickel plating can wear through to the brass or copper beneath, flake or develop a dull yellowish film. Collectors often prefer original plating with gentle wear, as replating changes the character of a piece. Many lamps and fittings are now replated or deliberately stripped to bare brass, so original finish should be checked carefully.
