![]() This type of light was a perfect fit for a variety of formal houses from Neoclassical Revival to early Colonial Revival. Born from the candle-bearing lanterns of yesteryear, electric pendants appearing in the 1890s were cast of iron or brass and suspended from a long chain that hung prominently from a sweeping, two-storey porch (see page 52). Grand houses required porch lights that made a statement as well as accounted for high ceilings. For a time, iron gas lights appeared on houses both grand and small from around 1860 on, as well as all manner of public buildings. Because they were meant to be decorative, the lights were at home perched above a gate or door, positioned next to one, or sitting prominently atop a post installed beside the sidewalk.Because the earliest versions of these lights were powered by gas, they required vents on their pyramidal canopy hoods. Typical of the ornamental ironwork popular for gas street lamps at the height of the Victorian era, gas entrance lights featuring fancy scrollwork, brackets, and strapwork supporting panels of seeded or frosted glass became common by the late 19th century. While these lanterns aren’t fancy, they are appropriate for vernacular buildings, such as farmhouses. Widely marketed by manufacturers such as Dietz and Russell & Erwin by the 1860s, the lamp was advertised in an 1897 Sears catalog as giving “very bright light, equal to the best gas jet,” that wouldn’t blow out in a strong wind. Featuring a simple whale-oil or kerosene-burning flame inside a glass chimney that was contained within a tin case, this style is known as a square tubular lamp. Some of the earliest porch lights were wall-hung oil lamps, such as station lamps, which evolved from hand-held utility lights in the mid-19th century. While we can’t be sure of what lit up your porch or front door when your house was new, we can show you some possibilities that are appropriate for a range of architectural styles and eras. ![]() ![]() The good news is more than one light type can be the right choice, as evidenced by the wide array of originals we’ve spotted on porches through the years. Take, as one example, a 1932 issue of Home Architecture, which advised that “good entrance lighting will brighten the doorway, emphasize its architectural charm, light the faces of guests, and radiate a cheerful hospitality.” Yet, when it came to specifics on the placement and style of those entrance lights, the same article offered up a laundry list of options considered appropriate at the time: brackets or lanterns, wall-mounted or ceiling fixtures, lights hung above the door, or lights flanking it. In addition, the thinking on what makes a light right has varied over time. Fashions change, and lights are subject to changing more often than most house parts owing to their small size and the big cosmetic punch they carry. (We aren’t sure why those came into fashion, exactly, but that’s another story.)ĭetermining what kind of porch light is appropriate for your old house can be tough because lights are such ephemeral objects. We’ve all seen houses that are historically accurate down to their mousetraps, yet sport those oversized carriage lights mistakenly associated with the Colonial era. There’s a reason why so many historic districts offer guidelines on porch lights: It’s easy to choose the wrong one.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |