Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-18
THE LAMP SHADE.
A Great Industry Born of the Demand
for These Trihes.

A Great Industry Born of the Demand
for These Trihes.
From the New York Times
The ey olution of the lamp shade has been
of mushroom growth. We all remember
the little green pasteboard affair, with Its
pictures of family groups and landscapes
of impossible nature. which decorated the
family drop-light barely ten years ago. its
present representative has opened very
broad avenue of trade, and a corresponding
one in the exercise of talent and artistic
ingenuity. Little thought the woman, whose
subtle instincts of art and beauty led her
to first fold a bit of colored tissue paper
around her porcelain lamp shade to screen
the eyes, what she was bringing into the
world. Little she dreamed OF the peauty.
art and delicacy of color she was ushering
in on the one hand, and the important IN
dustry, with all the ramihcatlons OF sucn
industry, On the other. That feminine
touch for taste and comfort has changed
from a tiny bud to a full-grown flower of
great beauty. Alas, that the dark roots
and vigorous branches which give it exist
ence should be repeating the same old story
of avarice and profit
1t is too true that the sweating system
pervades the manufacture of these airy
trifies, as it does that of practical shirts,
coats and trousers. Poor pay, close meas
ures, long hours, pale faces, ceaseless labor
for a starved existence-.nese belong to the
g. ssamer shades as to the prosafc clothing
The production of lamp shades is an
enormous puSlHeSS ne IldJOTtty seen III
the shop windows are made by the whole
sale in great work rooms in the large cities.
One may reflect, while looking at them,
that hundreds of gentle girls and older wo-
men are seated all day long, plying the
reedle as fast as they may, for pay depends
upon the number of shades turned out in a
day. The work is generally done by the
piece, so the incentive to labor rapidly is
provided.
A good trimmer can make two piano
lamp shades in day, for which she may
receive 81 or 81 apiece, according to the
amount of labor and elegance of the affair.
Prices for cheaper and smaller shades
range from ten cents up. Very small can
die shades are quickly worked off, and a
good hand can cover four or six a day.
Considering the price Of these little and big
elegancies to the purchaser, the cost Of
labor is a bagatelle, and the reflection is
obvious that 'some enc" makes money in
the business. Notwithstanding this dispro-
portion between the price paid by the con-
sumner and the cost of production, SO keen
is the desire for profit that at leastone big
manufacturing house. it Is said, sends
frames and materials to Mexico, where
they are made up for few cents
Material is cut and made into packages
ready for the individual worker by fore
women. Stirring, gathering and plating
are largely done by machine in piece
Extra fine material is intrusted only to
expert workers, and they do all the detail
by hand. Like all trades. there are the
coed, bad and Indifferent workers, and
prices are paid accordingly, but even with
fair workers it is found hard to make a
few dollars over living expenses.