There’s a Lamp to Be Had to Suit Every Taste
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
By Bill Primavera
Sometimes I am surprised by the origins of common household items and their history through the ages. Just recently, for instance, I learned that the table lamp has a history that dates back to 70,000 BC.
So, who knew? At that time, researchers (or historians, whichever) tell us that people would take a hollow shell or rock, fill it with moss that was soaked in the fat of animals which would be ignited.
It was long after the use of rocks and shells that people began to make things to hold the materials to make light. Manmade pottery, bones from animals and alabaster were used. Wicks were then added at a later time so that there was more control over the burning rate.
Around the seventh century BC, the Greeks were making terra cotta lights and lamps. The word lamp is actually derived from the Greek language from a word originally meaning torch.
By the 18th century the oil lamp was invented. This source of fuel was encased in metal and there was a metal tube to control the amount of fuel and how bright the light would be.
The first electric carbon arc lamp was invented by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1801. This lamp was operated by hooking up two carbon rods to an electrical source. By having the rods at a certain distance, the electricity would arc and cause light.
Sir Joseph Swann and Thomas Edison both are credited with inventing the first true electric table lamps. It was the lamp invented by Thomas Edison that became the world’s first commercially sold electric lamp in 1879.
Table lamps have come a long way since then, available in a vast array of colors and sizes. There are lamps that can range in price from a few dollars to the thousands. The table lamps of today can accept all kinds of different lightbulbs, and can be purchased anywhere that lighting and fixtures are sold.
In our area, there are several lighting stores; the one I patronized for all kinds of lighting needs is Mid-County Lighting on Route 6 in Mahopac. The lighting experts there were very helpful to me when, rather than seek out table lamps, I worked with them to install specialty overhead lighting in my home.
Visiting their showroom can spark ideas that may not have been top of mind when considering how to light a room. A desk lamp I purchased there is a very modern long-armed lamp with an LED light that will last longer than I.
Since I have a love for antiques, I have sought out and purchased table lamps that have been converted from other objects. One is a large converted candlestick. Another is a large ceramic piece of a woman dressed in 18th century garb, which combines art with the practicality of providing light.
There are so many variations of lamps available that there is a perfect lamp for every taste. And now, since the advent of the internet, sourcing table lamps with character is all but infinite.
Bill Primavera is a realtor® associated with William Raveis Real Estate and founder of Primavera Public Relations, Inc., the longest-running public relations agency in Westchester (www.PrimaveraPR.com). To engage the services of The Home Guru and his team to market your home for sale, call 914-522-2076.
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