December 4, 2008
In the 1950s, the first decade of mass television adoption, there was a common belief that watching TV in low light could damage one's eyesight. But early televisions, with their dull luminescence, were best viewed in the dark. So the TV lamp was invented to add a little light to the room and dispel people’s fears.
Originally a dimestore item which sold for $5 or $6, TV lamps were small backlit figurines styled to look like roosters, panthers, horses, deer, people, or plant life. There were thousands of TV lamp designs, made by at least 100 manufacturers. Usually ceramic or made of plaster, most TV lamps were pottery, and today are highly collectible.
Lacking a shade like a normal lamp, the bulb creates a silhouette of whatever shape the lamp itself is and casts its light on the wall behind the TV, creating a kind of a mood lighting.
What got me interested in TV lamps? I’ve always had an interest in the tackier artifacts of the 1950s and… [more]
My grandparents were antique collectors all their lives, their whole house was furnished in antiques. They ha… [more]
Mark Stevens has created an impressive living memorial to Texans Inc., a 20th century Texas manufacturer of ceramic… [more]
This stunning gallery of 138 Tiffany lamps and lampshades, part of the Dr. Egon Neustadt Collection presented by th… [more]
Lamp collector and dealer Dan Edminster has put together an incredible reference site on antique lamps and related … [more]
Get a taste of how homes were lit in the 50s, 60s, and 70s with the Danish retro-style lighting designs featured on… [more]
Bruce Bleier's tribute to the Emeralite and Bellova lampshades made from Czech glass and popularized and distribute… [more]
This incredible site is a stunning showcase for Victorian and contemporary fairy lamps, a style of lamp with a glas… [more]
Terry Marsh’s beautiful showcase of gas-pressure lanterns, lamps, stoves, irons, and heaters from the 1920s o… [more]
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