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Our English word lamp derives from the Greek word lampas, meaning torch. Nearly 3,000 years ago, long before the invention of the first electrical lamp in 1801, the Greeks used lamps made from terra cotta, i.e. baked earth, which burned oil as a fuel source. However, the true origin of lamps is believed to date back into human prehistory nearly 75,000 years ago.
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The History of Lamps Before Electricity
Until the late 18th Century,
desk lamps were primarily oil lamps. A shell made of pottery or metal contained a burning wick that was fueled by oil. The sources of lamp oil included whales, fishes, olives, and nuts.
Lights fueled by coal gas first appeared around 1800. Petroleum oil (and the kerosene derived from it) became the primary fuel source for desk lamps in the mid-19th Century. But even before that, the history of electric desk lamps had already begun.
The History of Electric Desk Lamps
The first electric lamp was invented in 1801 by Sir Humphry Davy. It was known as a carbon arc lamp and wasn't practical for home use.
The commercial production of incandescent desk lamps began in the 1870s. Two men, England's Sir Joseph Swann and America's Thomas Edison, invented electric lamps during that decade. Edison's lamps were first mass-produced by the Edison Lamp Works in 1880.
The History of Desk Lamp Design
Desk lamp designs now familiar to us became popular during the Art Deco movement of the 1920s and 30s. Adjustable height lampshades and flexible arms could be found in desk lamps produced by the Bauhaus School in Germany, as well as those by Peter Behrens, a German architect/designer who worked for the electronics company AEG.
Popular desk lamp styles today include Art Deco, the "bare bulb" style popularized in the 1960s, Tiffany desk lamps, and contemporary ergonomic designs.
Piano Lamps: Adding Elegance Anywhere
Piano lamps, like banker lamps, should not be confined by their name. Though originally designed for lighting piano keys and sheet music, piano lamps are now commonly used as desk lamps or as alternative lighting sources for work or leisure. Their classic design, aesthetic sophistication, and easy adjustment make them desirable and attractive additions to any room.
