Victorian Delights
Types of Victorian lamps and guidance for optimal placement
Period homes often come with unique features that can pose design challenges. By gaining insight into the historical context you can avoid introducing fixtures that can appear completely out of place.
Choosing between contemporary or historical lighting is one of the dilemmas that come with owning a period home. Despite owning a Victorian, I wasn't sure if I wanted to use the overly elaborate lighting. I chose a mix of modern fixtures with some older styles. Even if you aren’t doing a full period restoration, understanding what was present historically can help you make decisions on lamps and where to place them.
Prior to the Victorian era, candles, oil lamps, or fires provided the majority of lighting in homes. But the Industrial Revolution rapidly changed how homes were illuminated because lamps could be standardized and mass produced. The development of technology also led to the creation of gas lighting. The incandescent bulb arrived toward the end of the era, but most lights still used oil or gas because electricity was expensive and in its infancy.
Victorian lamps had elaborate craftsmanship and were made of brass or bronze. The evolution of gas lamps, stemming from candelabras, candles, and oil lamps, is evident in the shapes depicted in many designs. They frequently used ornate floral themes, historical allusions, and luxurious materials that added to the overall grandeur. Lampshades had ornate patterns and were made of rich textiles and glass.
The Victorians were a fearful, distrustful lot that embraced dim lighting
“The inside of a Victorian house at night would seem incredibly dark to our modern eyes. Candles only gave off about a fortieth of the light produced by a modern sixty watt bulb, oil lamps around a tenth, and gas lights at best a quarter. It was therefore usual to have numerous fixed and portable light sources in one room which could be close to a person reading, working or playing. Combinations from oil lamps and candles in the early years to gas lights and oil lamps later were used together.” - Excerpt From The Victorian House by Trevor Yorke
Large, striking chandeliers were common in the living room or hall of larger residences. Instead of using a single central light, houses frequently used many lamps that produced smaller modest pools of light. In kitchens and home offices, the lighting was brighter; in reception areas and bedrooms, it was softer. Lights were hung over fireplaces, above eating areas, and next to seating spaces, usually at five or six feet in height for greater visibility. Victorians read and worked under lamps that were either kept very low or had pulleys to raise and lower them. In each room, smaller lights were positioned over tables and beside chairs instead of a single large, light above.
Victorians believed that paints, wallpaper, and fabrics would fade in both artificial and natural light. In order to limit sunlight, they employed drapes and used dim lighting. Each lamp in Victorian times produced about the same amount of light as a ten-watt bulb. The light would have been warm and golden, with a color temperature of today’s soft white (see Repository).
Gas lamps were difficult to light and were typically only turned on when a person intended to spend some time in a room. Because the Victorians were also wary of gas, they mostly utilized gas lights downstairs and carried candlesticks upstairs. In the 1850s, the public's image of gas started to shift. Candles were still used, though, until electricity became widely available.
Victorian fixtures were decorative and stylistically diverse
Victorian lighting was available in a variety of styles, which reflected the period's eclecticism. They were made of brass, iron or bronze, with glass that was etched or cut with intricate patterns and motifs. Decorative beads, colored glass shades, and crystal pendants were commonly used to create a sense of elegance.
Prior to the refinement of the gas mantle1 in 1897, the flame was only directed upwards so most lamps were uplights. As electricity began to spread around this time, fixtures were also modified to accommodate light bulbs.
Gasoliers
Wealthy homes in the 19th century frequently used gasoliers, a type of chandelier meant to be lit by gas instead of candles since gas light had more brilliance. Gasoliers were frequently used in gathering areas, such as halls, formal dining rooms, and foyers, but simpler versions were also found in bathrooms.
Metals like brass, bronze, and other alloys were used to build gasoliers. The hollow metal frame of the lamp was connected to the gas piping system of a house. It allowed gas to flow controlled by valves on each arm. Ornamental features like glass globes, crystal shades, and decorative barriers around each gas jet functioned to soften the light and shield people from the open flame.
Early gasoliers consisted only of a vertical rod twisted at right angles at the end. A common feature was the loop formed by two or more arms that curved smoothly up or down over the glass lamp shade. Sometimes wall brackets would replicate the same shape to match the central fixture.
The glass shades came in a variety of shapes, such as fluted, bell-shaped, or intricately etched patterns. Shades frequently incorporated floral or geometric patterns in the glasswork, enhancing their decorative appeal.
Pendants
The largest pendant fittings had several burners and were known as gasoliers but there were simpler hanging lamps which refer to as pendant lamps. These lamps featured decorative translucent glass or metal shades and were often used to illuminate kitchen areas, workspaces, hallways or other functional areas. They often could be raised and lowered to desired heights.
Wall fittings
Ambient lighting was provided through wall fittings called ‘brackets’ that were decorated with scrolls, leaves, and flowers—mostly tulips or lilies. They were made in a variety of forms including candleabras and often incorporated glass shades for decoration. Wall fittings often came with reflective backplates or were placed in front of mirrors to maximize light. They were also place at doorways or on either side of chimney breasts.2 Some lamps had spring-loaded mechanisms to keep a candle flame at the same height as the shade when it burned.
Standing & table lamps
Tall parlor oil lamps were frequently found with shades styled like vases, painted globes, and stained glass. Glass painting was a popular hobby, and many of the shades were created by the women living in the home. Lampshades for both standing and table lamps featured tassels, fringes, and beads are made of parchment, linen, and silk. Beadwork with patterns was also popular.
Table lamps had heavy bases with vertical brass tubes supporting the shades. They were elaborately designed and used materials like brass or ceramic with hand-painted glass shades in vibrant colors. Detailed floral patterns, scrolls, and figurines were incorporated into designs, which demonstrated the time's preoccupation with nature and the influence of revival styles such as Gothic, Rococo, and the Aesthetic Movement.
Student lighting also appeared in study areas and libraries. These featured an adjusting mechanism and usually had two burners for better lighting.
Newel post lamps
Victorian newel post lamps3 are decorative lighting fixtures that were designed to be mounted on or near the newel post of a staircase. The lamps were designed not only to provide illumination (to prevent falls) but also to contribute to the overall aesthetic of the staircase and the surrounding space. They are often positioned at the bottom or top of the staircase or at key points along its length.
Related content:
Vintage Lamp Ordeal, Part 2: The Entryway
Repository
Candelabra
A candelabra is a decorative, branched candlestick or lamp holder with multiple arms or branches, each designed to hold one or more candles. Candelabras are commonly seen in formal dining settings, on mantelpieces, and in ceremonial or religious contexts. The term is also used to describe electric lights that are shaped like traditional candelabras.
Color temperature
Color temperature is a characteristic of light that refers to its perceived warmth or coolness. It is measured in units called kelvins (K).
Candlelight is 1500–1650 K; most warm and red
Gaslight is 1980–2800 K; warm orangish yellow
Original Edison bulbs are 2200 K–2400 K; warm amber
Reading
Books
Picture Book of Authentic Mid-Victorian Gas-Lighting Fixtures, Dover, 1984
The Opulent Eye, The Architectural Press Ltd, London, 1976 Nicholas Cooper with photos by H Bedford Lemer
Sites
Building Conservation: Lighting in the Victorian Home
Where to buy lamps and lampshades
Reproductions
Bespoke Lights (UK)
The Lighting Company (UK)
Rich Revival Lampshades (UK)
Victorian Emporium (UK)
Elegance Lampshades (US)
Enchanting Lampshades (US)
Period Lighting Fixtures (US)
Plain Jane Lampshades (US)
Rinaudo’s Reproductions (US)
Vintage Hardware & Lighting (US)
Vintage Shades (US)
Antique
1st Dibs (Worldwide)
Fritz Fryer (UK)
Jones Antique Lighting (UK)
Appleton (US)
Olde Good Things (US)
Rejuvenation (US)
A gas mantle is a component used in gas lights to produce light. It is a fabric or fabric-like material impregnated with various chemicals, typically thorium or yttrium compounds. The mantle is mounted on a burner, and when the burner is lit, the mantle heats up and emits a bright white light.
A chimney breast is a structure that projects from a wall to accommodate a fireplace or chimney. Typically, the chimney breast starts at the floor level and extends vertically, often protruding slightly from the wall. It helps to conceal and support the chimney flue, which directs smoke and gases from the fireplace or stove to the outside. Chimney breasts are common in older homes.
A newel post is a vertical post or column that provides support to the handrail of a staircase.
I love this! Thank you so much for taking the time to research this so fully. As you know, I currently live in a Victorian gothic home in England and indeed it was very difficult choosing the lighting. In the end I opted for a traditional antique chandelier in the drawing room. But, everywhere else I chose modern rustic chandeliers to link the period with my own style. Everything had to be huge though! 3.2m high ceilings demand mammoth lighting! Happy new year to you.
This was super interesting!
I really liked all the info you provided about the history of lighting in that era, especially since I have always liked those ornate Victorian style lights and chandeliers. It was all so beautiful.
Thanks RenoQueen