Lamp History

Lighting Through the Ages Not only have table lamps been around for multiple millennia, but they have been decorative objects since primitive man decided to carve them into shell-like shapes. From caveman to contemporary, lighting has been a source of pleasure since pleasure began.

Oil lamps: A 50,000-year-old tradition
Believe it or not, oil lamps have been providing light to homes for millennia and remained relatively unchanged in design during that time. Until mineral oil and kerosene became available in the 19th century, people used whatever was available, including olive oil, fish oils, and animal fats. Candles were also used in home lighting from Roman times on, but were largely considered an inferior light source due to their rapid consumption.

The 19th Century: A Time of Rapid Innovation
The Chinese had been burning gas lamps for over 3,000 years by the time gas lamps made their way into western homes. By 1860, thanks to innovations by Bunsen and others, gas lamps provided such a clean, efficient source of light that it seemed improbable that they would ever be replaced. But the incandescent light bulb was invented almost simultaneously in America and England, bringing electric light into homes and factories. By 1910, over three million American homes were using electric table lamps and floor lamps.

1900 to the Present
A Frenchman perfected the neon tube in 1909 and used it to illuminate the Grand Palace in Paris. Fluorescent lamps made their debut in the 1930s and gave incandescent house lamps a run for their money. They were more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs, but homeowners preferred to relegate their use to utilitarian rooms like the bathroom, preferring to use the incandescent in table lamps and floor lamps around the house. Today, a compact fluorescent bulbs are gaining popularity as designers meld the warmth of traditional bulbs with the energy savings of fluorescents.