1950's Bakelite Early Flexible Desk Lamp
Located in Hook, Hampshire
1950’s Bakelite Early Flexible Desk Lamp. The lamp was produced in Eastern Europe in the fifties
Category
Vintage 1950s European Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum
Flexible Desk Lamps
Black Vintage Flexible Desk Lamp by Hala Bauhaus Style, 1970s
Located in ROTTERDAM, ZH
Black Bauhaus style desk lamp by Hala. The position of the lamp can easily be adjusted, it moves
Category
20th Century Bauhaus Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Art Deco Flexible Desk Lamp Chromed Metal Some Replacement Parts
Located in Forest Row, East Sussex
An Art Deco, adjustable, chrome desk lamp. Some replacement parts. Fully re-furbished, re
Category
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Svend Aage Holm Sørensen Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass, Denmark 1950s
$2,169
H 14.97 in W 11.82 in D 8.27 in
Svend Aage Holm Sørensen Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass, Denmark 1950s
By Fog and Morup, Svend Aage Holm Sørensen, Paavo Tynell, Bent Karlby
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Original vintage desk lamp by Danish Svend Aage Holm Sørensen Made in Denmark in the 1950s of brass
Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Mid Century Post Modern Gooseneck Fully Flexible Desk Lamp by Electrix
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous fully adjustable and totally flexible with a solid weighted base. Made in New Haven
Category
Vintage 1980s North American Post-Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
Paavo Tynell Style Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass with Patina Scandinavia 1930s
$2,169
H 14.57 in W 10.63 in D 6.3 in
Paavo Tynell Style Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass with Patina Scandinavia 1930s
By Bergboms, Paavo Tynell, Bent Karlby, Fog and Morup
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Vintage brass desk lamp in the style of Finish designer Paavo Tynell, made in Scandinavia in the
Category
Vintage 1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Bauhaus Telescopic and Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass with Brown Patina 1930s
$1,808
H 18.12 in Dm 5.91 in
Bauhaus Telescopic and Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass with Brown Patina 1930s
By Kaiser Leuchten, Vilhelm Lauritzen, Christian Dell, Kaiser Idell
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Vintage Bauhaus telescopic desk lamp in the style of Christian Dell and Kaiser Idell. Most likely
Category
Vintage 1930s French Bauhaus Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Eje Ahlgreen Flexible Desk Lamp B-075 of Brass for Bergboms, Sweden 1970s
$2,169
H 20.48 in W 11.82 in D 7.88 in
Eje Ahlgreen Flexible Desk Lamp B-075 of Brass for Bergboms, Sweden 1970s
By Eje Ahlgren, Bergboms
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Eje Ahlgreen Vintage brass desk lamp made for Bergboms, one of the leading Swedish lightning
Category
Vintage 1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Vilhelm Lauritzen Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass with Patina by Lyfa Denmark 1940s
$6,027
H 18.9 in W 7.29 in D 7.29 in
Vilhelm Lauritzen Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass with Patina by Lyfa Denmark 1940s
By Vilhelm Lauritzen, Lyfa
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Vintage desk lamp model B 187 by the Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen (1894-1984) manufactured
Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Bauhaus Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Mid-Century IT Task Lamp from Louis Poulsen, 1970s
By Louis Poulsen
Located in Hamburg, DE
Flexible desk lamp from Poulsen according to a draft from 1972. Here in the short version. The IT
Category
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Flexible Desk Clamp Lamp 1950s
Located in Wien, AT
Flexible Desk Clamp Lamp 1950s Metal ( chrome ) is Original condition Aluminium is black lacquered
Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Aluminum, Chrome
Vintage Flexible Metal Desk Lamp
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This vintage desk lamp attaches to your tabletop with a self cranking clamp, and it is very sturdy
Category
20th Century French Other Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Important desk lamp with flexible base 1960.
Located in JOINVILLE-LE-PONT, FR
Pretty large desk lamp with flexible arm which allows 360° orientation of the light. Light cover
Category
Vintage 1960s French Industrial Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Steel
60s 70s Lamp Light Desk Lamp Flexible Design Germany
Located in Neuenkirchen, NI
60s 70s lamp light desk lamp flexible design Germany 50s 60s Object: table lamp Manufacturer
Category
Vintage 1970s German Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
60s 70s Desk Lamp Table Lamp Germany Flexible Design Space Age
Located in Neuenkirchen, NI
60s 70s Desk Lamp Table Lamp Germany Flexible Design Space Age Object: table lamp Manufacturer
Category
Vintage 1970s German Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
French Grey Metal Desk Cobra Flexible Lamp by Michel Philippe for Manade
$289 / item
H 25.6 in W 9.45 in D 9.45 in
French Grey Metal Desk Cobra Flexible Lamp by Michel Philippe for Manade
Located in Sofia, BG
French desk flexible lamps Cobra by Michel Philippe made for Manade. Both lamps are made of grey
Category
Late 20th Century French Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Red Flexible Arm Space Age Table Lamp, 1970s
Located in ROTTERDAM, ZH
Red space age desk lamp with flexible arm. The arm and shade can be positioned in any way desirable
Category
20th Century Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Vintage Metal Desk Lamp
Located in AIGNAN, FR
its retro and trendy touch. She has a flexible arm. Ideal as a desk lamp but also as a bedside lamp
Category
Mid-20th Century European Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Adjustable White Mid Century Desk Lamp, 1970s
Located in ROTTERDAM, ZH
Very flexible mid century desk lamp in white colour. The lamp can be adjusted at the base as well
Category
20th Century Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Tokio Desk Lamp in White by Shigeaki Asahara
$404Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 22.05 in W 4.73 in D 3.35 in
Tokio Desk Lamp in White by Shigeaki Asahara
By Please Wait to be Seated, Shigeaki Asahara
Located in Brooklyn, NY
elegant yet with great sense of functionality and flexibility. While the desk lamp has preserved its
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
Tokio Desk Lamp in Ash Grey by Shigeaki Asahara
$404Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 22.05 in W 4.73 in D 3.35 in
Tokio Desk Lamp in Ash Grey by Shigeaki Asahara
By Please Wait to be Seated, Shigeaki Asahara
Located in Brooklyn, NY
classic and elegant yet with great sense of functionality and flexibility. While the desk lamp has
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
Italian Modern Space Age Desk Lamp by Zonca, White, Adjustable, 1970s
By Zonca
Located in Ceglie Messapica, IT
Italian Modern Space Age White Desk Lamp by Zonca, 1970s This flexible white table desk lamp
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Mid Century Adjustable Brown Snake Table Lamp, 1970s
Located in ROTTERDAM, ZH
Mid century brown space age desk lamp with flexible arm. The arm and shade can be positioned in any
Category
20th Century Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Vintage Italian Space Age Hebi Table Lampy by Isao Hosoe for Valenti Luce, 1970s
$331
H 15.75 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
Vintage Italian Space Age Hebi Table Lampy by Isao Hosoe for Valenti Luce, 1970s
By Isao Hosoe
Located in ROTTERDAM, ZH
Incredibly flexible Hebi 'snake' desk lamp by Isao Hosoe for Valenti Luce. The white snake arm can
Category
20th Century Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Recent Sales
Hala Flexible Desk Lamp
By Hala Zeist
Located in Porto, PT
Hala desk lamp with adjustable black spot and flexible arm.
Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
SIS Table Lamp Black Metal
By SIS
Located in LA Arnhem, NL
SIS table lamp black metal. Robust and flexible desk lamp from Germany. The lamp has a flexible
Category
Vintage 1950s German Bauhaus Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Vintage Green German Mid-Century Modern Metal desk lamp with flexible shade
Unavailable
H 15.75 in Dm 15.75 in
Vintage Green German Mid-Century Modern Metal desk lamp with flexible shade
Located in Berlin, Germany
Vintage Green German Mid-Century Modern Metal desk lamp with flexible shade This desk lamp was
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Large Space Age Italian Chrome Clamp Lamp from Targetti, 1970s
By Targetti Sankey
Located in Riga, Latvia
This is large flexible desk/table/shelf lamp. Due to its size and color it looks very eye-catching
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
1950s Vintage Flexible Table, Desk Lamp with Chromed Iron Structure by Torlasco
Sold
H 16.54 in Dm 11.82 in L 16.54 in
1950s Vintage Flexible Table, Desk Lamp with Chromed Iron Structure by Torlasco
Located in Ceglie Messapica, IT
A 1950s vintage desk table lamp wit flexible structure attributed to Torlasco DESIGNER. Chromed
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Italian desk lamp
Located in Los Angeles, CA
desk lamp ,flexible neck
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Gray Enamel Belgian Vintage Industrial Metal Flexible Arm Desk Work Lights (3x)
Sold
H 35.44 in W 6.7 in D 7.88 in
Gray Enamel Belgian Vintage Industrial Metal Flexible Arm Desk Work Lights (3x)
Located in Amsterdam, NL
. Weight: 2.00 kg / 4.4 lb Priced per individual item. All lamps have been made suitable by international
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Industrial Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Enamel
Adjustable Architectural Desk Lamp
Located in New York, NY
A very mod, very red, highly flexible and adjustable desk lamp by an unknown Italian manufacturer
Category
20th Century Italian Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
1980s French LED Cobra Desk Lamp by Philippe Michel for Manade
By Philippe Michel, Manade
Located in London, England
in France by Philippe Michel for light manufacturer Manade. The desk lamp is flexible in two places
Category
Vintage 1980s French Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Very Early Original Brass Shell Table Lamp
Located in Vlimmeren, BE
This brass desk lamp with flexible column is terminating in shell-shaped shade. It is an old piece
Category
Early 20th Century Belgian Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Small Italian flexible desk lamp
Located in London, GB
Small Italian flexible desk lamp. Shade repainted. Stylish designer desk or table lamp.
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Paavo Tynell Style Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass with Patina Scandinavia 1950s
Sold
H 18.9 in W 25.4 in D 10.63 in
Paavo Tynell Style Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass with Patina Scandinavia 1950s
By Hans Bergström, Paavo Tynell, Bergboms, ASEA
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Vintage flexible desk lamp in the style of Finish designer Paavo Tynell, made in Scandinavia in the
Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Green Industrial Flexible Desk Lamp from Lampe Adher
Located in Nijmegen, NL
on a clean brake disk. It features a flexible arm and lampshade. The lamp has been fully restored and
Category
Mid-20th Century French Industrial Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
1970s Yamagiwa Cobra Flexible Desk Lamp by Kisho Kurokawa
By Kisho Kurokawa, Yamagiwa
Located in London, England
A flexible Cobra desk lamp designed by Kisho Kurokawa and produced by Yamagiwa. The lamp is made
Category
Vintage 1970s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Green Th. Valentiner by Poul Dinesen Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass, Denmark 1960s
Sold
H 18.51 in W 27.56 in D 9.06 in
Green Th. Valentiner by Poul Dinesen Flexible Desk Lamp of Brass, Denmark 1960s
By Th. Valentiner, Paavo Tynell, Povl Dinesen
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Original vintage desk lamp designed by Th. Valentiner manufactured in Denmark by Poul Dinesen in
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Vintage Industrial Desk Lamp by Erpe, 1950s
By Erpé
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Industrial table lamp manufactured by Erpe. This flexible desk lamp is made from aluminum and
Category
Vintage 1950s Belgian Industrial Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Iron
Vintage Industrial Desk Lamp
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Brass and iron desk lamp with flexible/articulated arm. Turquoise shade with black base and arm
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass, Iron
1970s German Hillebrand Leuchtenfabrik Black and Chrome Desk or Table Lamp
By Hillebrand
Located in London, England
1970s flexible chrome and black desk lamp manufactured by Egon Hillebrand Leuchtenfabrik in Germany
Category
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
1980's Red Hebi Style Gooseneck Table Lamp
By Isao Hosoe
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Red, Hebi style, flexible gooseneck desk lamp with switch. Made for the Dutch chain of department
Category
Vintage 1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Flexible Desk Lamp Z-Lite from Brilliant Leuchten AG, Germany, 1970s
Sold
H 14.97 in W 19.69 in D 6.7 in
Flexible Desk Lamp Z-Lite from Brilliant Leuchten AG, Germany, 1970s
By Brilliant Leuchten AG
Located in Berlin, DE
The 1970s desk lamp Z-Lite was designed and produced by Brillant Leuchten AG in Germany. It
Category
Late 20th Century German Futurist Table Lamps
Materials
Plastic
Flexible Desk Lamp "Z-Lite" from Brilliant Leuchten AG, Germany, 1970s
Sold
H 14.97 in W 19.69 in D 6.7 in
Flexible Desk Lamp "Z-Lite" from Brilliant Leuchten AG, Germany, 1970s
By Brillant 1
Located in Berlin, DE
The 1970s desk lamp "Z-Lite" was designed and produced by Brillant Leuchten AG in Germany. It
Category
Late 20th Century German Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
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Flexible Desk Lamps For Sale on 1stDibs
An assortment of flexible desk lamps is available at 1stDibs. The range of distinct flexible desk lamps — often made from metal, plastic and brass — can elevate any home. There are 118 antique and vintage flexible desk lamps for sale at 1stDibs, while we also have 14 modern editions to choose from as well. Flexible desk lamps have been produced for many years, with earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century. Flexible desk lamps made by Mid-Century Modern designers — as well as those associated with Industrial — are very popular at 1stDibs. Large flexible desk lamps can prove too imposing for some spaces, so the smaller flexible desk lamps available at 1stDibs — each spanning 3.94 inches in width — may make for a better choice. Many flexible desk lamps are appealing in their simplicity, but Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell and Gubi produced popular flexible desk lamps that are worth a look.
How Much are Flexible Desk Lamps?
Flexible desk lamps can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price at 1stDibs is $560, while the lowest priced sells for $177 and the highest can go for as much as $6,800.
Finding the Right Table Lamps for You
Well-crafted antique and vintage table lamps do more than provide light; the right fixture-and-table combination can add a focal point or creative element to any interior.
Proper table lamps have long been used for lighting our most intimate spaces. Perfect for lighting your nightstand or reading nook, table lamps play an integral role in styling an inviting room. In the years before electricity, lamps used oil. Today, a rewired 19th-century vintage lamp can still provide a touch of elegance for a study.
After industrial milestones such as mass production took hold in the Victorian era, various design movements sought to bring craftsmanship and innovation back to this indispensable household item. Lighting designers affiliated with Art Deco, which originated in the glamorous roaring ’20s, sought to celebrate modern life by fusing modern metals with dark woods and dazzling colors in the fixtures of the era. The geometric shapes and gilded details of vintage Art Deco table lamps provide an air of luxury and sophistication that never goes out of style.
After launching in 1934, Anglepoise lamps soon became a favorite among modernist architects and designers, who interpreted the fixture as “a machine for lighting,” just as Le Corbusier had reimagined the house as “a machine for living in.” The popular task light owed to a collaboration between a vehicle-suspension engineer by the name of George Carwardine and a West Midlands springs manufacturer, Herbert Terry & Sons.
Some mid-century modern table lamps, particularly those created by the likes of Joe Colombo and the legendary lighting artisans at Fontana Arte, bear all the provocative hallmarks associated with Space Age design. Sculptural and versatile, the Louis Poulsen table lamps of that period were revolutionary for their time and still seem innovative today.
If you are looking for something more contemporary, industrial table lamps are demonstrative of a newly chic style that isn’t afraid to pay homage to the past. They look particularly at home in any rustic loft space amid exposed brick and steel beams.
Before you buy a desk lamp or table lamp for your living room, consider your lighting needs. The Snoopy lamp, designed in 1967, or any other “banker’s lamp” (shorthand for the Emeralite desk lamps patented by H.G. McFaddin and Company), provides light at a downward angle that is perfect for writing, while the Fontana table lamp and the beloved Grasshopper lamp by Greta Magnusson-Grossman each yield a soft and even glow. Some table lamps require lampshades to be bought separately.
Whether it’s a classic antique Tiffany table lamp, a Murano glass table lamp or even a bold avant-garde fixture custom-made by a contemporary design firm, the right table lamp can completely transform a room. Find the right one for you on 1stDibs.
Questions About Flexible Desk Lamps
- 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.
- 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 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, 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.
- 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.
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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.
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