Types of Glass lamp Shades

As you may know there are tons of different styles of lamp shades available in today’s market. Today we are going to be talking about some different types of glass lamp shades that are commonly found in people’s homes.  The glass lamp shades that we will be discussing today are the tiffany lamp, the bankers lamp, and Piano Lamps.

The first types of lamp shade that we are going to be talking about are the ever popular Tiffany lamps. The Tiffany lamp shades and lamps have been around since the 1880’s. This is when Louis Tiffany saw that he could make miniature versions of his already famous stained glass windows. He also teamed up with Thomas Edison to make them into electrical lamps. This little step would set him apart from the rest of the lamp makers of the world for a very long time. The most notable thing about these magnificent lamps is that they come in all shapes and sizes, and are all hand made from bits and pieces of stained glass. Louis Tiffany made table lamps, chandeliers, floor lamps, desk lamps and any other type of lamp that could be imagined. Louis Tiffany also made many different types of lamp shades as well. The most popular styles are the transition to flower lamps and the irregular lower border lamps. There are many different categories besides these two but for the most part these are two that are most commonly seen.

The transition to flower lamp is Tiffany style lamp that begins with either insects or nature or random colors than will transition into the shapes and colors of flowers. These types of lamp shades are easy to make and might be the reason that Louis Tiffany made so many of these types of lamp shades.

The irregular lower border lamps are Tiffany lamps that have the lower edges of the lamp shade at different angles and heights and widths. These types of lamps simulate much of what nature is with all of the irregular edges in that of a tree with leaves or a flower with its petals. These lamp shades are among some of the most elegant and sought after in the collector world.

Bankers lamps were originally for you guessed it sitting on the desks of bankers to help them count out money. These types of lamps have been around way before the light bulb was invented, as they used to use candles instead. These lamps became electrical and widely available to the public around the 1880’s when the manufacturing of Edison’s light bulb and lamp plant began. These types of lamps are now mostly just used for your basic desk lamp and are not as nearly associated with just bankers any more. The way to identify these types of lamps is by the brass stand which is narrow in the neck and very wide and broad in the foot. The other main characteristic of these types of lamps is the green glass lamp shade. These lamps no longer just come in green glass they now come in all different materials, shapes, and colors. The only thing that keeps them recognizable as a banker lamp is the shape of the glass shade.

The next type of glass shade is the piano lamp. This lamp has a history much the same of a banker’s lamp but not quite. Often time’s people get these two confused because they look very similar. These lamps originated because of the need for light to see the piano keys when playing in less than ideal conditions such as at night or in dark auditoriums.  These lamps also were created by cause an open candle or light bulb created so much glare that it was near to impossible to see the keys and music sheet and play them in a timely and in sequence manner. As the years progressed the simple designs turned into elaborate creations otherwise known as candelabras. The candelabra is an elaborate and ornate form of a piano lamp. They are made of many candles or lamps and are placed along the length of the piano, more times than not on a grand piano. There are many different types of candelabras such as hanging candelabras, fireplace candelabra, wrought iron candelabra and even a wine bottle candelabra.