Lampshades to the Rescue to Soften the Glare (and Us)
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
By Bill Primavera
Blanche DuBois, both the heroine and tragic character in Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire,” hated a naked lightbulb, as much as “a rude remark or a vulgar action.”
While the playwright intended to have that lightbulb represent truth, which was too frightening for Blanche to face, to most of us, its purpose is simply to curse the darkness and illuminate our environment. But not too much.
Enter the lampshade to provide a filter to all that truth and protect us from all that glare.
The predecessors of the lampshade that we are accustomed to today began to appear in the 1600s. Their purpose originally was to protect the flame and disperse the light from candles; then, later, from oil lamps.
In the 19th century, glass lampshades would be used primarily for oil lamps and gaslights. They were shaped like a vase and were fitted above a receptacle with a wick that contained oil for it to burn.
In Victorian times, lampshades were made primarily from fabric stretched on a wire frame, which was then further enhanced with beading hanging from the bottom of it. These lampshades appeared in the late 19th century when electricity was starting to become more common.
When I lived in my former home, a vintage colonial from the late 1700s, I had several of those types of shades with hanging beads. It was not exactly a contemporary look, and certainly not a more masculine look, which I prefer in the shades we have today in my home.
Electric lights were very bright and harsh to users unaccustomed to the glare, so lampshades were used to dull them. With the increasing availability of electricity in the early 20th century, the popularity of the lampshade grew and, over the years, the lampshade became more and more decorated.
Around 1890, a decorated lampshade reached its zenith when Louis Tiffany began to sell a highly ornate lampshade to the general public, made of intricately patterned, brightly colored glass.
Today, lampshades are simpler but made from all kinds of materials including fabric, plastic, metal and glass.
Some years ago, I found a collection of lampshades that had stencil cut-out patterns in them, adding another decorative element to our décor. I would find guests just staring at the patterns in a kind of mesmerized state. Perhaps they drew too much attention.
As for color, while some can be dark, even black, lampshades seem universally to be covered in white or cream fabric for greater distribution of light.
A major consideration when buying a new lampshade is to consider its proportion in relation to the base of the lamp. Too fat or too skinny a circumference can produce an undesirable effect, even comical, especially when the lightbulb it’s shielding is on.
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).
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