The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-24
HOUSE-LIGHTING
BY ELECTRICITY.
Il C0ldHCGS to Comfort and Rest in 00a On
Quiet Hours.
Engineers Have Furnished the Material, but
Artists Have Not Kept Pace With Them
Bow TO Light Different Rooms.

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 nay be source of pleasure
and not of irritation.
So far the artists have not kept pace with
the engineers, aud most of the pendants and
electroliers found at present are wanting
singularly in Imagination and grace, says
writer in the Fortnightly Review. They
are far TO heavy and clumsy for the light
lamps that they support. The lines aid
curves are conventional and ungraceul,
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. The shape of the
lamps themselves should be considered and
worked into the design, so that the whole
may be harmonious, a quality In which the
resent models are deficient, electric lamps
generally appearing as il they had been
stuck or hung on as an afterthOught
So tar the designers Of electric light fit
tingS are too much the slaves OF precedent,
derived from their experiences with gas,
candles. oils, torches, and other relics OF the
uast forgetting that the shapes of the
holders Of all these lights are determined by
the necessity of leaving clear space above
them, for the escape OF hot and foul air, ana
also bV the condition that they must be
within reach of the taper or match used for
lighting them Not till they realize their
freedom from these two limitations will the
designers begin 10 appreciate the artistic
probabilities of the new illuminant, and
give Us original designs Of flying figures,
birds aud carved Guilds, delicate chain
work, family tinted glass and china
powdered with flowers.
Bright center lights fOreShOTten distances
and enhance the feeling Of naTrOwneSs,
which cleyerly arranged lamps, placed SO
as to brighten the sides ana corners, ShOuId
help 10 dissipate. Modern heavy brass
models of
DRAGONS. GRIFFINs AND DOLPHINs
Are TO be especially recommended as cleo
tTic-lamp holders, as good and inexpensive
designs are 10 be bought, but they should
always be fixed with the lights hanging
downward. not crawling up the wall Ike
poor, oyerladeu insects carrying luminous
rggS. Very highly Ornamented fittings Viii
often have a common appearance. Grace,
simplicity and beauty Of form and color
should be sought before everything. Each
Of the decorative lights should have a sep
aTate switch, to be used when required.
Outside the dTawing-rO0m door Is beau-
tiful place for decorative light. The yes
;ibule light need not always be kept burn
ing Ii should be turned on by the servant
who answers the door, or connected after
dark with the front-doOr bell, SO that when
the bell is Tung the light would be switched
on.
An electric cigar-ighter should hang near
the front door. which Will save the daily
hunt for matches and consequent irrita-
ton of the master If the house and his
friends. Electricity may also afford US pro-
lection at night, as an ingenious burglar
alarm has been devised by which, from a
controlling switch in the masters bedroom.
the whole passage, hall and stairs can be
Illuminated, So that when the gentle burg
lar comes a-burgling light may be shed on
his ntf3TiouS pTacu es We owe to elec-
Ticity the Punishment Of that faint and
,Cky CdOr of paraffine that haunts our stair
eases aft-T the daily procession OF tie lamps
10 the dlaWiug-TOOm.
In The sltring-room in which we live there
should be two kinds of l;ght, faint shaded
light to read, talk or think by, and a brighter
light to play by" With a bright light
meditation will not be fertile, and with
dim light play will not be vigorous.
1t is difficult to decide beforehand exactly
where we wish to have the standards and
reading lamps placed, II real luxury and
comfort is desired a pair of electric wires
should be placed along the sklrting- board
round each of the sitting-rO0ms, and sockets
should be fixed unOn them at intervals, so
that any standard can be moved to any part
of the room, and TO facilitate this all the
plugs and sockets in the house
SHOULD BE INTERCHANGEABLE
Il is impossible to OveTestimate the daily
comfort gained by having electric lamps
fixed in all the principal cupbOards, linen
and huuSemaids' closets, wine and cOal-cel-
these is not worth considering, owing to the
short total Of hours that each burns in the
year.
Il is very easy 10 economic when first the
installation is put in, but it Is a great mis-
take to do so, as the initial expense Is small
in comparison to the daily comfort of we'll
arranged aud weIl-distributed lights, and
eventually economy In the quantity Of cleo
tTicity used-which, IL must be remembered,
is paid for by meteT-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 drawiDg-TOOm, l believe that what
ever the iluminant used, the light of the
future will be a reflected light. The room
should be flooded with a warm, soft Tadi-
ance, and we should be uncon ,ciOus of the
source from which it proceeds; this can
only be obtained by the use of reflected
light, but when il is remembered that pow
erful electric lamps can be placed within a
few inches Of the most beautifully decorated
ceilings without risk Of injury to them. aud
their direct rays intercepted by silk,
or any other semi-OpaqUe substance, II will
be seen at once what opportunities cleo
tricity affords for the effective illumination
of our draWing-TOOms. 1t makes It possible
to use decorations on the ceilings which any
combustion light would destroy.
If misunderstanding is adopted, Vene-
tian glass with different cUiOred silk shades
Of the exact tints of the glass itself are
effective With cut-glass chandeliers the
shades should not be all alike, but should
be in different tones of the same color
If there is window guarded by heavy
curtains that seem to need relief, a large
ornamental glass bowl, vase or bottle can be
hung with
THE LAMP INSIDE
these glasses, II carefully chosen, and the
rays will lock like the imprisoned genii of
the Arabian Nights, and will delight the
Imagination as well as the eye.
Electrical firms have had to be patient
for many a weary day, while the public
were making up their minds whether to
adopt the light or not; and now it is the
turn Of the public 70 be patient, for the de-
mand at present Is greater than the skilled
supply.
A pendant should not hang in front of a
lady's looking glass. as she will see only the
reflection Of the lamp instead Of her own
hair. A pendant should hang on each side
OF the looking glass, and should be arranged
to draw up and down.
Electricity enables rs safely to read in
bed. A hinged bracket lamp should pro-
Ject from the wall over the bed, and should
be shaded with silk. This lamp should be
provided with one of the new switches
which are made to rest in three positions,
VIZ, of, on, and an intermediate position,
giving half light This is invaluable in case
of illness.
The dinner should be brightly Illuminated
There should be no fierce reflection from the
tabe-cloth and silver. Too dark red, lemon
and canary yellow should be avoided as
shades. fringe, however handsome, is not
satisfactory. No ceiling light should be al
lowed 10 Interfere with the charm of the light
being concentrated on the dinner-table
and it must always be remembered
that In the dining-room the dinner-tabl
Is the first consideration. The rest
of the room should be softly bnt
not brightly lighted. A hanging pendant
which will draw up and down is suitable
for quiet family meal, and makes a good
center for the extended table used for a din
uer paTty The ends of this larger tabIa