1940s Hanging Lighting
Vintage 1940s English Art Deco Lanterns
Brass
Vintage 1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1940s Danish Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1940s Italian Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Vintage 1940s European Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Murano Glass
Vintage 1940s American Chandeliers and Pendants
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Lanterns
Brass, Iron
Vintage 1940s Italian Lanterns
Glass
Vintage 1940s French Chandeliers and Pendants
Aluminum
Vintage 1940s French Chandeliers and Pendants
Steel
Vintage 1940s Italian Lanterns
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Early 20th Century Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Murano Glass
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1930s Czech Bauhaus Chandeliers and Pendants
Copper
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Blown Glass
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Blown Glass
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Vintage 1940s Italian Empire Revival Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century Swiss Chandeliers and Pendants
Steel
Vintage 1940s Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Murano Glass
Vintage 1940s American Lanterns
Glass
20th Century Flush Mount
Metal
Vintage 1940s English Lanterns
Brass
20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century French Flush Mount
Iron
Vintage 1940s Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Vintage 1940s Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Ormolu
20th Century French Flush Mount
Metal
20th Century French Flush Mount
Vintage 1940s Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Murano Glass
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
Vintage 1940s Moroccan Lanterns
Tôle
1940s Hanging Lighting For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a 1940s Hanging Lighting?
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.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A number of dresses were popular during the 1940s. Many women wore short-waist dresses with button necks, collars, fitted waists and full skirts. The classic A-lines with knee-length hems in red, white and blue colors were also a trend. Shop a collection of vintage dresses on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021In the 1940s, ladies wore clothes defined by clean and slim silhouettes. The jackets, blouses and sweaters often featured shoulderpads and had somewhat of a military feel. Most dresses were quite casual and pants and playsuits became part of a woman's everyday style.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021A light fixture should hang 7 feet off the floor or 3 feet above a table. As a general rule of thumb, one should not look into a light fixture when they are standing.
- What is a 1940s style dress?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021The most popular 1940s-style dress was the shirtwaist dress. It had a front opening like a men’s shirt, but with large buttons in the front of the dress, which was practical and easy to wear. The sleeves were short and necklines varied from shirt style to sweetheart and other necklines. Antique and vintage dresses from well-known designers are available on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023Where you hang a pendant light over a kitchen sink is largely a matter of personal preference. If you're installing a new light fixture, consider where you most need task lighting. You may find it better to hang the lamp off to one side to illuminate a food prep area. Generally, there should be 35 to 40 inches of space between the bottom of the pendant and the countertop to allow for adequate clearance. On 1stDibs, find a collection of pendant lights.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 23, 2024Claire McCardell was the designer often called the Mother of American Fashion in the 1940s. An American designer, she helped introduce women's sportswear to the United States and was particularly well-known for her bias-cut, loose-fitting Monastic dress. When World War II broke out in the 1940s, she designed pieces out of readily available materials like denim, calico and wool jersey, introducing new fabrics for women's clothing that would remain popular well after the close of the war. Many people point to McCardell as one of the first successful American fashion designers. Shop a collection of Claire McCardell apparel on 1stDibs.
Read More
This Paavo Tynell Chandelier Is a Radiant Bouquet
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
Ettore Sottsass Captures a Shooting Star in This Rare 1970s Floor Lamp
Before founding the Memphis Group, Sottsass bent the rules of lighting design with the wonderfully wavy Cometa.
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.