The Inspiration for Modern Lighting

Most Modern lighting of today has not been solely created from innovative designs and fresh ideas. But has been reformed from existing design periods. Modern lighting has been inspired by lighting history in many ways, be it, a specific designer, such as, Tiffany or a design period, such as, Art Deco or even the materials used such as crystal.

Federal Lighting 1700-1810

This is the style of most of our founding fathers' architecture, including many early public buildings, Colonial style homes and most plantations. The style has undergone many revivals right up to modern home building. The original lighting consisted of real candle fixtures, candle chandeliers, candelabras, candle lanterns; various candle hurricane lamps and candlesticks, and toward 1800, oil lamps and whale oil lamps. Most of these fixtures were made of tin or iron, sometimes combined with wood, looking quite primitive, while others were crafted in pewter, brass and silver, and looked very elegant.

These lights were hand made and led to the typical "Colonial Style" light fixture that we see so much of today, typified by "S" curved arms and a central hanging oversized ball shape.

Italianate Victorian Lighting 1860-1885

The Italianate period in Victorian lighting and architecture used classic motifs such as urns, soldiers, knights, coats-of-arms, maidens in togas, hunters and all types of animals. Lighting included kerosene and oil fixtures and lamps, as well as gas lighting. The ceiling and wall fixtures were made of iron or "pot metal", brass, and "red brass" (more copper). Lamps were constructed of all those elements plus glass, bronze, marble, slate, granite and onyx, and many brass items were plated with nickel. Examples from this period are hard to come by, and you can generally count on outstanding metal work and styling, great heft and balance, and exceptional attention to detail.

Eastlake Victorian Lighting 1870-1900

Basically the same styling as above, Eastlake Victorian exemplifies simpler and lighter construction and design. This lighting consisted of kerosene and oil, gas, and combination gas & electric fixtures. Hanging or wall mounted kerosene fixtures were cast-iron or brass, while the gas and gas/electric combination fixtures were almost always made of brass.

Some of the best intricately etched and cut glass shades were crafted for these fixtures and many used hanging crystal decoration.

Victorian Lighting 1880-1915

Victoriana is commonly (and unjustly) thought of as an excess of curvy, lacy, embellished elements, making tedious dusting problems. This may hold true for the light fixtures and lamps of the period but their effect is unquestionable. Certainly, some of the most graceful, elegant, beautifully detailed yet functional pieces ever created, were crafted in this period. Much modern lighting today tries to capture this styling. Encompassing the sinewy lines of the Art Nouveau movement and the geometric balance of the Eastlake influence, Victorian styling remains popular, even in modern homes.

Georgian Revival Lighting 1905-1930

This is actually an earlier style of architecture, but it had a widespread revival in the U.S. during this period. The Georgian style is important for lighting history because most of the fine quality "Art Glass" artisans developed lighting for this style. Quezel, Steuben, Tiffany, Handel, Pairpoint and others made wonderful glass for electric lighting and lamps, which became the models for lighting companies to emulate. This was a revolution for modern lighting. Much of the "Art Deco" styled lighting fixtures were developed from 1920 -1930 as less expensive replacement electric lighting for the dangerous gas lighting. This has greatly influenced modern lighting. These were chain hung electric fixtures, sometimes illuminating with un-shaded bulbs (they were the latest technology and they were so pretty!), but mostly with glass shaded bulbs.

Arts & Crafts (Craftsman) Lighting 1905-1935

The style is typified by austerely straight lines forming squares and rectangles, with woodwork mostly in oak. Light fixtures were made for gas/electric combination and electric use, mostly in brass or iron, reflecting mission styling with the use of square brass tubing and square glass shades. Stained glass table lamps were fashioned with square oak frames and square oak bases. Hammered iron and copper in basic shapes on heavy chains made up a class of "Craftsman" styled fixtures for this architectural style.

This is one style where it is magically satisfying to match Arts & Crafts lighting with Arts & Crafts settings.

Tudor Revival Lighting 1910-1940

Tudor lighting became especially popular with 1920s suburban homes, loosely based on late medieval prototypes. Cast iron, wrought iron and crystal were prevalent on many of the Antique Lights. All of which have inspired modern lighting seen today.