The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-01
HOUSEHOLD DECORATIONS
in NOVEL ELECTROLIERS.
These Attractive Fixtures Are
Now Designed by Artists,
Who Make a Special
Study of the Work.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
In the artistic furnishing of the home to-
day no point receives more careful cOnsid-
Grafton than does its effective lighting.
The designing of beautiful electroliers has
now grown to such proportions that it is
recognized as a distinct branch of art
In some OF its forms. notably in tbs
bronze statues and groups used as electro
iiers in drawing-rooms. ateliers and in the
archways between rooms, the electrolier
has reached a high degree OF beauty.
Unlike the gas fixtures. the electrolier is
almost always designed to suit the apart
ment for which it is intended.
Certain styles. moreover. have come to
be recognized as belonging to certain rooms
and to TO others.
The electroIier artist makes q special
study Of this side OF the subject. from the
great Louis XIV chandelier, which is ap-
propriate only for the drawing-room or
salon. furnished in that style. to the thou
sands OF dainty conceits fitted for nothing
room.
For the front hall the lantern form Of
electrolier is the most popular.
These may be had in any number of
styles. from the most ornate to the severe
ly plain. Colonial. old English, Dutch,
Louis XVI. to suit the character of the
house
having at tDe SeaSnOr0
sometimes obtain something odd and apprO-
pirate by simply taking fishermen's Ian
terms for this purpose, hanging them in the
hall just as they are, except that an electric
candle is introduced instead of the usual
one of tallow.
The antlers Of a stag often are used to
form the electrolier in the hall of q coun-
try or mountain home.
The electric cord runs invisibIy through
the antlers and the lights are made to
spring out here and there among the short
horns.
Antlers are also used in dining-rooms and
libraries. for which, however. they AFFORD
hardly sufficient lighting.
For long corridors. bracket lights are bet
ter than hanging lamps. and bronze stat
ues stand in the archways leading into
rooms. These statutes are of endless
variety, both American and French artists
having produced many of rare grace and
beauty.
CORDS ARE CONCEALED.
The subjects are limited only by the
necessity of introducing the lights appro-
priately and in ways which will carry on
the idea of the design.
In all cases the electric cords are perfect
ly concealed, passing up the interior of the
statue. A god shaking the lightning in his
hands is a favorite theme, with electrolier
artists, each shaft of lightning being
tipped Win uttle DuiD. sometimes II -
a woman who holds the lightning in her
hands.
Women reaching up to pick flowers from
trees, bulbs being concealed in the center
of the blossoms. and the lights shining
forth from petals of colored glass or OF
silk, is another theme found in variety
of forms
One of the oldest of these bronze statues
represents nymph with butterfly wings
tripping over a field of flowers. The eyes
in the wings are formed Of bits OF colored
glass. The lights. hidden in the wings.
shine forth in real butterfly tints amid the
bronze.
In drawing-rooms antique chandeliers Of
all periods have been converted into electro
Tiers. and hundreds Of designs after these
ancient patterns are made every year for
rooms which are furnished in antique style
and demand them.
Besides these each season produces a
great number of novelties for what is gen.
eralIy the handsomest room in the house.
In hanging fixtures for the drawing-room
the latest thing is great bunch of flow
:, and foliage. with the blossoms dropping
downward. each flower holding light.
These eiectroliers are all Of metal, the
leaves being colored green and the petals