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Maitland-Smith Lamps and Lighting Brass Candlestick Lamp 1754-817
Would you believe that the first lamp – ever – was created in 7,000 BC? Of course, this is not your stylish, decorative lamp but rather a shell, hollow rock or a natural object that’s been filled with moss soaked with animal fat. Humans ignited this kind of lamp a long, long time ago and most of the styles were imitated from alabaster, man-made pottery, and metal lamps.
The wick was added later in order to control the lamp’s burning rate. By the 7 BC, the Greeks began to make terra cotta lamps which easily replaced the handheld torches. In fact, lamp came from the Greek word lampas which means torch.
Now let’s jump to the 18th century when the central burner was finally added. By then, the fuel source was an enclosed metal along with an adjustable metal tubing that controlled the intensity of the light.
Little glass chimneys were also added in order to keep the breeze from blowing out the flame. It was a Swiss chemist, Ami Argand, who developed this idea.
The earliest lighting fuels for these glass chimney types were either beeswax, olive oil, whale oil, fish oil or nut oil. These were the renowned fuels during the late 18th century, however, the Chinese were able to collect natural gas from animal skins.
In the mid-1800s, petroleum was already being drilled so kerosene (a derivative of this oil) became a popular choice for lamp lighting.
Hello, Electric Lamps
Sir Humphrey Davy, an English man, was the inventor of the first electric lamp. This worked by hooking dual carbon rods to an electric power source. Electric current then flows through the arc creating vaporizing carbon which emitted a bright white light.
Thomas Alba Edison and Sir Joseph Swann were the ones who invented incandescent lamps in the late 1800s. These electric incandescent light bulbs worked in pretty much the same way as Sir Davy’s invention. This time, the electricity passes through the filament that’s inside the bulb. The heat then generates high temperature which radiates light.
Still later, Friedrich Meyer, Edmund Germer and Hans Spanner came up with the fluorescent lamp. It was in 1927 that fluorescent lighting became available for lamp users.
Lamp Lighting Implications
Here’s another trivia – did you know that almost all religious events in India start with the lighting of a lamp? To them, lamp lighting is an invitation to the divine to join their ceremonies. You see, there’s much more to using a lamp than mere ambient lighting.
Lamps do not just provide a light source for your home, it can also be an effective decorative element. It can easily complement your chosen décor which can up the experience of your visitors. Decorative lighting can evoke different moods.
When a warm glow is set up in the bedroom, then you’re evoking romantic and relaxing feelings. A brighter lamp in the dining area signifies that you want a more animated meal with your loved ones and visitors. Just adjust the dimmer on this same lamp and you can have a more intimate dining experience.
The right task lamp can also help you accomplish your work in your home office. Couple this with blue walls and you are sure to become more productive.
Biltmore Linguist Lamp Table
Table or Desk?
Buy table lamps for home office, bedroom or living room setups. At least this is the general idea. Add femininity or masculinity in a room as you choose crystal for the former and lamps with sturdier bases for the latter.
For book reading and other such activities, use a table lamp. Be sure to invest in a lovely lamp table such as this lovely piece from the Biltmore collection of FFDM. For task lighting or a unique decorative strategy, use floor lamps. For both, be sure to get the scale right. Do not be afraid to mix and match hues and styles.
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