Antique Collector - Antique Lamps and Lighting |
Antique Lighting and Lamps.
Following the days of whale-oil lamps, which had been in use since Roman times, candlesticks appeared around the mid 17th century in quantity. Most surviving examples today come from the late 18th century onward, following industrial scale production designed to meet the demands of the newly prosperous middle classes.
Thomas Edison's invention of the incandescent filament bulb in 1885 revolutionized the way we lit our homes and all manner of table-lamps, chandeliers, wall lights and floor-lamps appeared starting with the Tiffany Studios around the 1890's. Many other manufacturers soon followed and designers from the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods explored and experimented with this new home accessory.
Much old lighting, especially when rewired to modern standards, is as usable today as the day it was made, making antique lighting very attractive to collectors.
