What did lighting look like in 1910?

Mar. 07, 2024

At the Turn of the Century , 1890 – 1900 , all Antique lighting styles were incorporated. Every conceivable style was used. Combination gas and electric lighting was introduced and within a short period of time gas drifted away and electric lighting became the primary lighting source.

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In 1910 electricity was fairly new and not wide spread. Some of the fixtures sold at the time were mere adaptations of gas-light styles, absent elaborate Victorian decoration. For example, solid stems on ceiling fixtures to encase pipes running gas were incorporated in early electric lighting designs. By the 1920s most urban and suburban homes were lit with electricity, and ceiling fixtures and sconces could now be suspended with chain, with the electrical wires woven through the chain.

Most fixtures were made of brass and held glass shades, globes or bowls. The style would — usually but not always — vary to match the style of the interior decor. Styles could range from Colonial to Mission or Arts & Crafts. Generally, the fixtures were fairly clean, matching the simple and straight forward architecture.

The light fixtures were either purchased from a lighting supplier or via mail-order catalog. If the house was from a mail-order company like Sears & Roebuck and Co., Aladdin or Montgomery Ward, the owners would often buy the fixtures out of the same catalog.

Dining Room Light Fixtures were often “shower” fixtures with 3-6 glass shades or lanterns suspended on long chains from the ceiling. “Branched” fixtures or chandeliers, with glass shades or electric candles were also an option.

Alternatively, a single large dome shade with 2-4 sockets was suspended over the table with a single chain or stem.

Kitchens were most often lit with a single surface mount ceiling fixture with an enclosed glass white opal globe (round or schoolhouse). Sometimes, a pendant was suspended over the kitchen sink. Bedroom Lights were often embossed brass surface mount pan lights with 2-4 lights. Bathroom Lighting was often nickel-plated. Single light sconces, with plain white gloss or white frosted shades mounted on either side of the mirror were popular. Sometimes a single surface mounted ceiling light with a glass shade or globe was mounted in the center of the bathroom to augment sconces or as the sole light fixture.

Porches were lit with a surface mounted light with a round glass globe or a lantern suspended from the ceiling or mounted adjacent to the front door. Porch Lighting was either cast iron or brass.

Given the variety of styles available in the era, homeowners who are interested in architecturally appropriate lighting for their Foursquare style house have a broad range from which to choose. Colonial, Mission, Arts & Crafts and Prairie Style light fixtures will all be equally at home in an American Foursquare.

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Additional resources:
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Jennings, Jan and Herbert Gottfried. American Vernacular Interior Architecture 1870-1940. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1988.

Maril, Nadja. American Lighting: 1840-1940. Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 1989.

Schweitzer, Robert and Michael W.R. Davis. America ‘s Favorite Homes: Mail-Order Catalogues as a Guide to Popular Early 20th-Century Houses. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1990.

Sears, Roebuck and Co. Small Houses of the Twenties The Sears, Roebuck 1926 House Catalog: An Unabridged Reprint. New York: Dover Publications and The Athenauem of Philadelphia, 1991.

Thomas, Jo Ann. Early Twentieth Century Lighting Fixtures: Selections from an early 1900 R. Williamson & Company Lamp Catalog. Kentucky: Collector Books, 1980.