A lamp shade is an accessory used to cover the light bulb of a lamp to better distribute the illumination or to make it more tolerable to the eye. The first glass lamp screens date back to the 17th century, when the first oil lanterns appeared, and the cover was used to protect the flame and help direct the smoke produced. Since the invention of the light bulb, lamp covers have been used to moderate and diffuse the light, while also serving decorative and aesthetic purposes; these last two are the principal reason why so many types of screens exist, and today, almost any figure imaginable can be found covering a light bulb, from butterflies to birds, trees, flowers or abstract forms. Lamp shades, whether made of glass or not, have become a form of art expression that can be very important at the time of decorating a space. In this article, an overview of the most classic and common forms of glass lamp screens is presented.
The lamp cover used in Victorian times to protect gas-fired flames is called gas lamp shade, and it is the oldest type of classical glass screen, and the one from which all others would come from. Its basic shape is that of a sphere, which was used to contain a gas flame, and a small circular opening on top, that served the purpose of releasing the gas and excess heat produced by combustion. Even though gas-fired light is no longer used, it is usual to find gas shades in modern houses, as they continue to be a popular shape for lamp screens. There is a variation to the gas lamp shade, known as the student lamp cover, which has a broad base that tapers inward at the top, and ends in an open cylinder; the opening was used for the same purposes as the one in the gas shade; this type of glass lamp cover has a more decorative spirit than its original form.
One of the first types of glass made shades to appear after gas lighting was replaced by electrical lamps is the school or school house screen, which dates from the 1920s. Its form is pendant like, with a wide base that usually opens until the mid section, where it starts to flatten, to end in an interesting pointed top; it is the successor to the gas lamp shades, designed to be used for electrical, and not gas-fire lighting, and to be more of a decorative piece than the previous models of glass shades.
An important type of glass lamp shades is the cylindrical, which can be found in the most simple of forms, as a plain cylinder, which can vary on the height and width, or the ratio between these characteristics, or in its variations: chimney or hurricane. Chimney shades are constructed as a cylinder with a sphere on the base; they are a cross between the cylinder and gas shapes. The hurricane screen has the shape of a deformed cylinder; its base is cylindrical, but the body of the lamp shade expands and then tapers to become a cylinder again at the top. Sometimes petals are carved at the top of the shade, to give it a flower like look; when this is done, the glass lamp shade is referred to as a lily shade. Due to the peculiar shape of the hurricane and lily shades, they are commonly made of glass, which has the perfect properties to be given exquisite forms, while maintaining its durability. Cylinder lamp shades have existed since the gas-fired lighting times, but the hurricane, lily and chimneys are more modern.
Probably the most common type of lamp shade is the cone, which has the form of a very wide cone that helps diffuse the light, to give more illumination to a space. Due to its simplicity it is widely use in offices or rooms with a simple or minimalist decor. This type of cover can be found in a wide variety of materials, fabric being the most common, but it is also normal to find glass cone screens with beautiful designs.
The lamp shades can play a very important part in the ambience and decor of a space, and they can radically alter the style of the place, whether you are looking for a classic or more modern look. Now you can recognize and know the names of the different types of classical glass lamp screens, in case you need to replace one that has been damaged, or just want to give any space a more classical look.
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