The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-19
ARTISTIC LIGHTING.
ELECTRICITY IN THE HOUSE GIVES
MANY OPPORTUNITIES.

ELECTRICITY IN THE HOUSE GIVES
MANY OPPORTUNITIES.
Suggestions fol Decorative and Useful
Development-With Electric Fluid IL
No End Of Ingenious Contributions to
Our Greater Comfort.
How far can the new illuminant. cleo
tricity, aid Us in our hours of work and con-
duce to the comfort and peace Of our hours
of rest and recreation? The engineers have
supplied the current to the house, and it
becomes necessary to consider how TO ar
range, clothe and decorate the lamps so
that the light may be a source OF pleasure
and not of irritation
So far the artists have not kept pace with
the engineers, and most of the pendants
and electroiiers found at present are want
ing singularly in imagination and grace.
They are far too heavy and clumsy for the
light lamps that they support The lines
and curves are conventional and ungrace-
full, and the lamps are often SO placed that
they shed their light directly in our eyes,
instead of rejecting it from the objects that
should be illuminated by them.
Theshape of the lamps themselves should
be considered and worked into the design,
SO that the whole may be harmonious, a
quality in which the present models are de-
ficiert, electric lamps generally appearing
rs if they had been struck or hung on as an
afterthought.
ART IN DESIGNS.
So far designers of electric light fittings
are too much the slaves of precedent, de-
rived from their experiences with gas,
candles, oil, torches and other relics of the
past, forgetting that the shapes of the hold
ers of all these lights are determined by
the necessity of leaving clear space above
them for the escape of hot and foul air,
and also by the condition that they must
be within reach of the taper or match used
for lighting them. Not till they realize
fully their freedom from these two limita-
tions will designers begin to appreciate the
artistic possibilities of the new illuminant,
and give US original designs of flying fig
ures, birds and carved Cupids, delicate
chain work, family tinted glass and china
powdered with flowers.
Bright center lights foreshorten dis
tances and enhance the feeling of narrow
so as to brighten the sides and corners,
should help to dissipate. Modern heavy
brass models of dragons. grifins and dol
phins are to be especially recommended as
electric lamp holders, as good and mex
pensive designs are to be bought. but they
should always be fixed with the lights
hanging downward, not crawling up the
wall like poor overladen insects carrying
luminous eggs. Very highly ornamented
fittings will often have common appear
ance. Grace, simplicity and beauty of
form and color should be sought before
everything. Each of the decorative lights
should have separate switch, TO be used
when required.
Outside the drawing room door is a beau
tiful place for decorative light. The YES
tibuie light need not always be kept burn
ing. It should be turned on by the servant
who answers the door, or connected after
dark with the frontdoor bell. so that when
the bell is rung the light would be switch
ed on.
MANY USEFUL ARRANGEMENTS.
An electric cigar lighter should hang
near the front door, which will save the
daily hunt for matches, and consequent ir-
ritation of the master of the house and
his friends. Electricity may also afford
us protection at night, as an ingenious
burglar alarm has been devised by which,
from a controlling switch in the master S
bedroom, the whole passage, hall and
stairs can be illuminated, so that when the
'gentle burglar comes a-burgling" light
may be thrown on his nefarious practices.
We owe to electricity the Punishment of
that faint and sickly odor of paraffine that
haunts our staircases after the daily pro-
cession of the lamps to the drawing room.
In the sitting room in which we live
there should be two kinds of light, faint
shaded light to read, talk or think by,
and brighter light to ''play by" With a
bright light meditation will not be fertile,
and with dim light play will not be Wig
orous.
1t is difficult to decide beforehand ex-
actly where we wish to have the standards
and reading lamps placed. If real luxury
and comfort are desired a pair OF electric
wires should be placed along the skirting
board around each of the sitting rooms,
and sockets should be fixed upon them at
intervals, so that any standard can be
moved to any part of the room, and to ia
cilitate this all the plugs and sockets in the
house should be interchangeable.
1t is impossible to overestimate the daily
comfort gained by having electric lamps
fixed in all the principal cupboards, linen
and housemaids' closets, wine and coal Gel
lars. bathrooms, etc The working cost of
these is not worth considering, owing TO
the short total OF hours that each burns in
the year.
DRAWING ROOM IDEA.
bar Grz&
the installation is put in, but it IS great
mistake to do so. as the initial expense IS
small in comparison to the daily comfort
of we'll arranged and well distributed
lights, and eventually economy in the
quantity of electricity used-which, 1t
must be remembered, is paid for by meter
will result, from thus being able TO Light
the particular corner Of the room in which
we wish TO sit, instead of illuminating the
whole room from the center or walls on
every occasion.
In the drawing room, believe that what
ever the illuminant used, the light Of the
future will be reflected light. The room
should be flooded with a warm. soft radi-
apce. and we should be unconscious OF the
source from which it proceeds
This can only be obtained By the use of
reflected light, but when II is remembered
that powerful electric lamps can be placed
within a few inches of the most beautiful
" decorated ceilings without risk Of injury
to them, and their direct RAYS intercepted
By silk. or any other semi-opaque sub
stance, il will be seen At once what oppoT-
tunities electricity affords for the effective
illumination of our drawing rooms. Il
makes Ii possible to Use decorations on the
ceilings which any combustion light would
destroy.-Fortnightly Review