Classic Desk Lamp
Vintage 1960s Scandinavian Industrial Table Lamps
Metal, Chrome
2010s Austrian Art Deco Table Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1950s Polish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal, Chrome
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1940s Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
2010s German Table Lamps
Glass, Wood
2010s German Table Lamps
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Table Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1930s German Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1930s Austrian Art Deco Table Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Classical Greek Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Aluminum, Brass
2010s Italian Table Lamps
Crystal, Marble, Brass
2010s Italian Table Lamps
Metal
2010s Italian Table Lamps
Brass, Nickel
2010s Italian Table Lamps
Brass
2010s Italian Table Lamps
Brass, Nickel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Table Lamps
Aluminum, Chrome
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Brass, Spelter, Copper
Vintage 1970s American Modern Table Lamps
Metal
2010s Japanese Table Lamps
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage 1960s Dutch Table Lamps
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
Antique Mid-19th Century Table Lamps
Brass, Metal
Mid-20th Century English Art Deco Table Lamps
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass, Aluminum, Metal
Vintage 1930s German Bauhaus Table Lamps
Steel
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Table Lamps
Metal
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Chrome
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Plexiglass, Porcelain
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Table Lamps
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Table Lamps
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Table Lamps
Enamel, Steel
2010s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1920s German Industrial Table Lamps
Steel
Vintage 1930s German Bauhaus Table Lamps
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps
Aluminum, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Table Lamps
Steel
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Table Lamps
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
20th Century Bauhaus Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal, Brass, Copper
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal, Chrome
Vintage 1960s German Bauhaus Table Lamps
Metal, Nickel
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass, Steel
Vintage 1970s German Space Age Table Lamps
Glass
Vintage 1970s German Space Age Table Lamps
Glass
Vintage 1970s German Space Age Table Lamps
Glass
2010s Danish Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
2010s Danish Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
20th Century Table Lamps
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps
Stainless Steel, Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps
Aluminum, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps
Aluminum, Stainless Steel
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Classic Desk Lamp For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Classic Desk Lamp?
Finding the Right Lighting for You
The right table lamp, outwardly sculptural chandelier or understated wall pendant can work wonders for your home. While we’re indebted to thinkers like Thomas Edison for critically important advancements in lighting and electricity, we’re still finding new ways to customize illumination to fit our personal spaces all these years later. A wide range of antique and vintage lighting can be found on 1stDibs.
Today, lighting designers like the self-taught Bec Brittain have used the flexible structure of LEDs to craft glamorous solutions by working with what is typically considered a harsh lighting source. By integrating glass and mirrors, reflection can be used to soften the glow from LEDs and warmly welcome light into any space.
Although contemporary innovators continue to impress, some of the classics can’t be beat.
Just as gazing at the stars allows you to glimpse the universe’s past, vintage chandeliers like those designed by Gino Sarfatti and J. & L. Lobmeyr, for example, put on a similarly stunning show, each with a rich story to tell.
As dazzling as it is, the Arco lamp, on the other hand, prioritizes functionality — it’s wholly mobile, no drilling required. Designed in 1962 by architect-product designers Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, the piece takes the traditional form of a streetlamp and creates an elegant, arching floor fixture for at-home use.
There is no shortage of modernist lighting similarly prized by collectors and casual enthusiasts alike — there are Art Deco table lamps created in a universally appreciated style, the Tripod floor lamp by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Greta Magnusson Grossman's sleek and minimalist Grasshopper lamps and, of course, the wealth of mid-century experimental lighting that emerged from Italian artisans at Arredoluce, FLOS and many more are hallmarks in illumination innovation.
With decades of design evolution behind it, home lighting is no longer just practical. Crystalline shaping by designers like Gabriel Scott turns every lighting apparatus into a luxury accessory. A new installation doesn’t merely showcase a space; carefully chosen ceiling lights, table lamps and floor lamps can create a mood, spotlight a favorite piece or highlight your unique personality.
The sparkle that your space has been missing is waiting for you amid the growing collection of antique, vintage and contemporary lighting for sale on 1stDibs.
- Who invented the desk lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2024
No one knows for sure who invented the desk lamp, as many engineers worked on designs for lamps during the 1920s. Many experts cite the Anglepoise lamp, however, as the earliest iteration of the modern desk lamp. Since its 1934 debut, this ingenious task light has become one of the most celebrated examples of industrial design.
How the Anglepoise came to be is the stuff of design legend: In 1932, a vehicle-suspension engineer by the name of George Carwardine joined forces with a West Midlands springs manufacturer, Herbert Terry & Sons, to create a mechanism by which opposed springs would, as Carwardine explained, exert a “unidirectional constant force” on a pivoted lever that could counteract the force of gravity.
This invention was not destined for an auto but for a lamp Carwardine was developing. The innovation would allow the piece’s articulated arm to be moved with ease to almost any position and remain there. As the product of engineering acumen rather than fashion, the Anglepoise soon became a favorite among modernist architects and designers, who interpreted it as “a machine for lighting,” just as Le Corbusier had reimagined the house as “a machine for living in.”
The Angelpoise's rivals include the 1930 Bestlite, which was one of the earliest Bauhaus-influenced designs, created by Robert Dudley Best, who had studied under Walter Gropius at the Bauhaus in Dessau. German modernist Karl Trabert’s 1930s desk lamp for Schanzenbach & Co. was notable for its domed shade above a hinged arm.
Find vintage table lamps and other lighting on 1stDibs. - What is the best desk lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 26, 2021The best desk lamp is a matter of preference — the right fixture can help you work more efficiently while also reducing eye strain. LED desk lamps in the 2700K to 4500K color temperature range often provide a warm and pleasing light under which to work. Shop a collection of antique, vintage, and modern desk lamps from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
- What is a good desk lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021A good desk lamp is going to make a substantial difference in any home, office or studio. The ideal desk lamp should provide apt task lighting, be easy to use, and also be aesthetically pleasing. Find a wide range of unique and elegant desk lamps on 1stDibs today.
- What is the best LED desk lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021There are many types of best LED desk lamps for your home — it's really a matter of preference. On 1stDibs, there are modern, mid-century modern desk lamps and other lighting to choose from.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The desk lamps with the green shade are called banker’s lamps. Banker’s lamps are green because it is believed the color helps to encourage concentration and is mentally soothing. It is also said that green helps with eye strain. You can shop a selection of banker’s lamps from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022British designer George Carwardine designed the Anglepoise desk lamp. Before creating the light fixture, he worked as an engineer designing automobile suspension systems. The first Anglepoise lamps debuted in 1931. You can find a variety of Anglepoise desk lamps on 1stDibs.
Read More
You Don’t Need a Fictional Fairy to Get This Real Pinocchio Lamp
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
With a High-Tech Flagship and Cool Collabs, Lladró Is Breaking the Mold for Porcelain Production
Thanks to its new leadership, the Spanish maker of figurines, busts and lighting is on a mission to update the art of porcelain for the 21st century.
Christopher Tennant’s Lamps and Dioramas Evoke Sunny Days and Seaside Locales
The former magazine editor blends elements of the Far East and America’s eastern shores, bringing wit and delight to his handmade, upcycled designs.
Paavo Tynell’s Snowflake Chandelier Warms Up Any Room
This circa 1950 piece by the legendary Finnish lighting designer spent the past several decades in a family's home in Michigan.
NASA Parachutes Inspired Lighting Designer Bec Brittain’s New Collection
In "Paraciphers," now on view at Emma Scully Gallery in New York, Brittain introduces works that were more than a decade in the making.
This Handsome Leather Pendant Light Is Crafted Using Saddle-Making Techniques
The Doma by L’Aviva Home nods to Colombia’s equestrian heritage.
Celebrate Spring Year-Round with This Lush Murano-Glass Chandelier
Hand-blown glass makes the Italian fixture glow like dew-covered leaves in the sun.