Friday, 30 Jul 2010
You are here:
Victorian Light Shades One hundred Years Ago
Written by Jeff Yichuang   
Wednesday, 10 March 2010 08:15
Glass lamp shades from the Victorian era are still in widespread use today despite having been formally replaced by modern era electrical lamp shades. There are numerous reasons as to why they continue to be popular in this age: their aesthetic appeal to those interested in classical decor, and their persistent high functionality as light bulbs and gas flames are both easily accommodated by the same sized shade.
by JeffYichuang


Glass lamp shades from the Victorian era are still in widespread use today despite having been formally replaced by modern era electrical lamp shades. There are numerous reasons as to why they continue to be popular in this age: their aesthetic appeal to those interested in classical decor, and their persistent high functionality as light bulbs and gas flames are both easily accommodated by the same sized shade.

Victorian style glass lamp shades became popular during the Victorian age of the United Kingdom, but their history goes back further to the time of the very first gas lights. In the late 1700s in the United Kingdom, a man by the name of William Murdoch was the first to experiment with using gas to fuel a flame for lighting purposes.

Murdoch was in the employment of a steam engine and coal mining company. During his spare time in the company, he would try to find uses for coal gas. The fruits of these efforts resulted in new inventions.

Murdoch's first successes were for his own house and for his steam engine company. He lit both with gas lamps of his own design, which constituted a fantastic sight for onlookers at the time. It so amazed a colleague Samuel Clegg that he embarked on a new venture to create a company centered around the gas lamp.

Murdoch's ventures were not the only ones. For example, the German Friedrich Winzer applied for exclusive patent protection on coal gas-fueled lamps in the early 1800s. Another man, Phillipe Lebon of France, set up gas powered lamps for light his home and home exterior. Soon after his experiments, the city of Paris took it upon itself to light the streets with gas power.

The introduction of gas lamp shades to city streets had a tremendous economic and social impact. Now businesses could stay later as their clients were able to safely use streets even in the late hours. Safety also meant that social activities between households and other parties could extend into the night.

The benefits of gas lighting were not limited to the streets. When installed indoors, factories found that they could extend the hours of their workers. Moreover, the decorating of homes with novel glass lamp shades meant the development of a new industry aimed at artistic and interior design.

The earliest home shades used glass as the raw material. Glass was highly malleable and could be shaped into different kinds of profiles. These shades were also characterized by stylistic etchings on the outer surface. The basic shape was a globe to shield the gas-fired flame, and a round opening on the top to release heat.

About the Author:

Some of these ideas were graciously supplied by a site on lamp shades made of glass. Additional topics and articles on glass student lamp shades can be found at the site.