Can you tell me about this?

I picked up this lamp table at an estate sale.  This sale had so much stuff and it was the second weekend of the sale by the time my friend and I arrived.  I was told that of the 4 people who used to live there, the parents were collectors and the daughter was a hoarder!  Well, that certainly explained the vast amount of stuff available!  It looked like many things had just basically been stored, neglected and not really used much by the owners. 
At least this seemed the case with this little 'charlie brown' looking table! 

Something about it's uniqueness pulled at me.  My friend, took a look and had "eewww" written all over her face.  She probably thought I was a bit crazy to even think about this dirty, peeling, icky looking table!  The lamp did not work, the pole was wobbling and crooked, the wood varnish was mostly gone, and it was filthy dirty.  Sometimes it is the challenge for me, and sometimes the style.  This time it was both. 

I brought it home and took the lamp apart so I could work on the wood.  I sanded, primered and painted it several coats of heirloom white.  Then I wanted to give it definition so I used a burnt umber glaze over the top.  I put it on and rubbed it off, several times.  It wasn't what I had hoped for but I just didn't want to redo it again and it wasn't that bad.  Certainly better than before.  I don't seem to be too good with glazing projects.  Easy to do, but somehow I don't get the results I had hoped for?  Maybe I pick the wrong pieces?  wrong color?  I don't know.  As it sat in my house it grew on me.  Sorta a beige-y brownish that fits in with the fall decor. 

I sprayed the solid brass lamp parts with a hammered metal brown and tried to put it back together.  Well, even if there are only a few parts, they have to go in a certain order, and if you know me.....well, my husband ended up doing it for me.  My son figured out that the reason the lamp didn't work was because the wire had detached inside the plug.  He fixed that for me.  My husband put it back together the right way and the lamp pole was no longer wobbly or crooked.  We discovered that it can use a 3-way bulb, and it has a swivel to position the shade!  It is a cool piece overall. 

I think I bought it for the shade.  I really like it.  I don't know what it is made of, it almost looks like a fiberglass type material.  I think these were from the 40's or 50's but not really sure on that either.  I have called it a Lamp Table.  Does it have another name?  Was it used for telephones?  Does anyone know?

Linking up to

Power of Paint at Domestically Speaking http://www.domestically-speaking.com/

Hookin Up with HOH at House of Hepworths http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2010/10/07/hookin-up-19/

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/2010/10/furniture-feature-friday-favorite-link.html

Remodelholic Friday party http://www.remodelholic.blogspot.com/

Sunday Showcase at Under The Table and Dreaming http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2010/10/sunday-showcase-party-w-anniversary.html

Make it for Monday at Cottage Instincts http://cottageinstincts.blogspot.com/

Vintage Thingy at The Coloradolady http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/search/label/Vintage%20Thingies%20Thursdays