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Lelli Desk Lamp

Desk Lamp by Angelo Lelli for Lightolier
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
An interesting chrome-plated table lamp, designed by Angelo Lelli for Lightolier, circa 1960s. The
Category

Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

Angelo Lelli Blue Table Desk Lamp, Italy, 1950s
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Munich, DE
Midcentury Angelo Lelli table desk lamp in blue metal and chrome base, Italy, 1950s.  
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Articulating Desk Lamp by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce
By Angelo Lelii, Arteluce
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A Mid-Century Modern desk lamp designed by Angelo Lelli with gooseneck arms and a counter-weight
Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Marble, Chrome, Steel

Angelo Lelli Style Articulated Midcentury Brass Table Desk Lamp, Italy, 1950s
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Vienna, AT
A French articulating height adjustable brass table or desk lamp from the 1950s. This iconic light
Category

Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal, Aluminum, Brass

Angelo Lelli Table Desk Lamp with Adjustable Metal Shade, Italy, 1950s
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Zagreb, HR
Mid-century Italian Table lamp designed by Angelo Lelli in white lacquered metal and chrome base
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

Angelo Lelli Style Adjustable Chrome Desk Lamp with Chrome Ball Shade
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Angelo Lelli style adjustable magnetic chrome reading lamp, bedside lamp with chrome swivel eyeball
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Chrome, Magnets, Metal

Italian Midcentury Brass Articulating and Counter-Balance Desk Lamp, Arredoluce
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in New York, NY
Elegant Italian Mid-Century Modern style desk or table lamp in the style of Angelo Lelli for
Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Belgian Black Marble, Brass, Metal

Italian Mid-Century Modern Cantilevered Table / Desk Lamp, Attr. to Arredoluce
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in New York, NY
Italian Design is known for. A minimalist nickeled steel stem arm is the center of the desk lamp and a
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Steel, Nickel, Metal

Large Bronze Metal Table Lamp Arredoluce, Italy, 1970s
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
Impressing and large table / desk lamp in brushed aluminum with bronze effect dating back to the
Category

Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

Pair of Italian MId-Century Modern Table Lamps, Attr. Gino Sarfatti & Arteluce
By Arteluce, Gino Sarfatti
Located in New York, NY
A Rare Pair of Italian Midcentury Modern Table or Desk or Bedside Lamps attributed to Gino Sarfatti
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal, Brass

Gio Ponti for Arredoluce, Italian Mid-Century Modern Brass Applique, 1957
By Arredoluce, Gio Ponti
Located in Milan, IT
Achille Castiglioni, whose Tubino desk lamp, released by Arredoluce in 1949, typified their ability to
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Brass

Altamira: Italian Furniture Glassware Lamps Accessories
By Altamira, Gio Ponti
Located in New York, NY
masterpiece, the two-drawer desk, model AP 1025, are shown in the present catalog. Shown, too, are furniture
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Books

Materials

Paper

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'Plissé White Edition' Pleated Textile Table Lamp by Folkform for Örsjö
By Örsjö Industri AB
Located in Glendale, CA
'Plissé White Edition' pleated textile table lamp by Folkform for Örsjö. This unique table lamp was awarded “Lighting of the Year 2022” by Residence Magazine Sweden, who called it “...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Textile

JENNY Large Wall Light or Sconce in Enamel & Brass by Blueprint Lighting
By Blueprint Lighting, Mathieu Matégot, Stilnovo
Located in New York, NY
Introducing Jenny, the latest vintage-inspired fixture from Blueprint Lighting. Named for multi-hyphenate Jenny Mollen; NYT best-selling author, actress, design enthusiast, mom of ...
Category

2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel

Seating as Minimalist Sculpture, 4 Elements by Uredat, 1969, Mohair Upholstery
By Klaus Uredat, COR
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Amazing, museum quality, modular 'CORBI' seating set, composed of four elements, designed by Klaus Uredat for 'COR', Germany, 1969 complete with the original purchase invoice dated 1...
Category

Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas

Materials

Mohair, Foam, Wood

Soriana Lounge Chair by Afra and Tobia Scarpa
By Cassina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Antwerp, BE
Afra and Tobia Scarpa, reupholstered cognac aniline leather, Cassina, Italy, 1970s The Soriana collection was meant to express beauty and comfort by using a whole bundle of fabric...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Soriana Lounge Chair by Afra and Tobia Scarpa
Soriana Lounge Chair by Afra and Tobia Scarpa
H 25.6 in W 37.41 in D 39.38 in
Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce Table Lamp in Marble and Brushed Steel
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, table lamp model ‘500’, marble, brushed steel, chrome-plated steel, mirrored glass, Italy, circa 1969 This unique table lamp is designed by Italian des...
Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Marble, Steel

Pair of Pyramid Hammered Glass Flush Mount by Poliarte, Italy, 1970s
By Poliarte
Located in SAINT-OUEN, FR
Pair of ceiling chandelier lightning lamps fixture flush mount. Hammered amber and clear glass by the manufacture Poliarte in Verona. Famous italian design like Biancardi and Jordan ...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount

Materials

Brass, Metal

Concrete Island Coffee Table by OPIARY (L78", W40", H17")
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Opiary is a Brooklyn-based biophilic design and production studio. We integrate nature in each of our designs, incorporating live greenery and organic shapes into bespoke furniture, ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary North American Organic Modern Coffee and C...

Materials

Concrete

Set of Three Italian Walnut Nesting Tables, circa 1950
By Cees Braakman, Pastoe
Located in Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland
Gorgeous and rare set of three nesting tables in Italian walnut. Designer: Attributed Pastoe Manufacturer: Attributed Cees Braakman Country: Netherlands Model: Nesting tables De...
Category

Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking Tables

Materials

Metal

"Pietra" Light by Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni for Fontana Arte
By Gae Aulenti, Livio Castiglioni
Located in New York, NY
The 'Pietra' light is a rare light designed by two powerhouse designers (Aulenti & Castiglioni) in 1988. I have only seen two others in the last 20 years! The lamp is in perfect orig...
Category

20th Century Italian Table Lamps

Materials

Chrome

Presidential Chair by Jorge Zalszupin
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Polish-Brazilian architect and designer Jorge Zalszupin (1922 - 2022) for L'Atelier, circa 1960s. Constructed with Brazilian Jacaranda Rosewood Veneers in an unusual bent...
Category

Mid-20th Century Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Presidential Chair by Jorge Zalszupin
Presidential Chair by Jorge Zalszupin
H 25.25 in W 37 in D 29 in
Afra & Tobia Scarpa "925" Easy Chairs for Cassina, 1966, Set of 2
By Cassina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Afra & Tobia Scarpa "925" easy chairs for Cassina, plywood and black leather, Italy, 1966, set of two. In 1966 Afra & Tobia Scarpa designed the "925" chair, realized in walnut and l...
Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather, Plywood

1 of 4 Charlotte Perriand Stools for Les Arcs, France 1960s
By Charlotte Perriand
Located in Echt, NL
Original Les Arcs stools in very good condition. The stools were designed by Charlotte Perriand for the Les Arcs ski resort in France. The stool are made of solid pine wood and hav...
Category

20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Wood, Pine

Gecko Table Lamp by Gianfranco Frattini for Leuka, 1970s
By Gianfranco Frattini, Leuka
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Gecko table lamp by Italian designer Gianfranco Frattini for Leuka in 1971. Giuliana Gramigna described on Page 208 (1972) of 'Repertorio del Design Italiano 1950-2000' (translate...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Chrome, Magnets

Werkstätte Carl Auböck 'Nun' Table Lamp
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Glendale, CA
Werkstätte Carl Auböck 'Nun' table lamp. Designed in 1950, this versatile and Minimalist Viennese lamp is executed in brass with a cast iron base and sculptural hard paper shade by W...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass, Iron

Mid-Late Century Industrial Aluminium and Brass Flame Proof Strip Light - White
By Industrial Design
Located in Leicester, Leicestershire
Korean flame proof edison LED twin strip light with gloss white finish. A real example of vintage Industrial lighting that you just don't see these days, in fact it would have been ...
Category

Late 20th Century Korean Industrial Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Eames Time Life Stool A
By Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Original, first-issue time life stool A, designed by Charles and Ray Eames. A striking design first commissioned for the Time Life Building and informed by Ray Eames’ sculpture pract...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Stools

Materials

Walnut

Eames Time Life Stool A
Eames Time Life Stool A
H 15 in Dm 13 in

Recent Sales

XXL French Mid Century Pendant Light, Arlus France, Stilnovo Style
By Arlus, Stilnovo
Located in Bremen, DE
, egg shaped opaline glass globe shades. Wiring: The lamps have been tested with US American light
Category

Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass, Steel

Angelo Lelli Desk Lamp for Arredoluce
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Porto, PT
Articulated table or desk lamp in chrome-plated steel, enameled steel, enameled brass and
Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Travertine, Chrome, Steel

Angelo Lelli Desk Lamp for Arredoluce
Angelo Lelli Desk Lamp for Arredoluce
H 15.75 in W 5.32 in D 15.75 in
Angelo Lelli Attributed Brass Desk Lamp, Italy, 1950s
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Naples, IT
A classic desk lamp with Art Deco detail and rounded shade which swivels over the weighty base
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

Angelo Lelli Spot Lamp
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Angelo Lelli designed desk lamp for Arredoluce. The body of the lamp holds a retractable reflector
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Table Lamps

Materials

Chrome, Steel

Angelo Lelli Spot Lamp
Angelo Lelli Spot Lamp
H 10 in Dm 3 in
Angelo Lelli table lamp
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Angelo Lelli designed desk lamp for Arredoluce. This design features a rotating brass arm that
Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Table Lamps

Materials

Chrome, Steel

Angelo Lelli table lamp
Angelo Lelli table lamp
H 10 in W 6.5 in D 7 in
Pair of desk Lamps Attributed to Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce
Located in New York, NY
Attractive small pair of desk lamps attributed to Lelli for Arredoluce. Each with Yellow shade, on
Category

20th Century Italian Table Lamps

Materials

Steel, Brass

Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Angelo Lelli designed for his own Italian lighting company , Arredoluce , 1950's desk lamp in red
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Table Lamps

Rare Magnetized Desk Lamp by Arredoluce
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in New York, NY
Desk lamp with magnetized bulb assembly by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce, Italy 1950s. The sphere
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Table Lamps

1950s Pair of Modernist Brass Desk Lamps
Located in Sagaponack, NY
Pair of stylish, likely Italian, modernist desk/table lamps evoking the best of midcentury Italian
Category

Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass, Metal

1950s Pair of Modernist Brass Desk Lamps
1950s Pair of Modernist Brass Desk Lamps
H 17.5 in W 6.75 in L 17.5 in
Angelo Lelli Contrast lamp
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Angelo Lelli designed desk lamp for Arredoluce. This design features a magnetic cup that holds the
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Lanterns

Materials

Chrome, Steel

Angelo Lelli Contrast lamp
Angelo Lelli Contrast lamp
H 9 in W 3 in D 3.5 in
Lamp Lacquered Metal Brass and Opaline Glass, Italy, 1950s
By Stilnovo
Located in SAINT-OUEN, FR
Mushroom table or desk lamp in black lacquered metal, brass and opaline glass attributed to
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal, Brass

Desk Lamp by Angelo Lelli for Lightolier
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
An interesting chrome-plated table lamp, designed by Angelo Lelli for Lightolier, circa 1960s. The
Category

Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

Desk Lamp by Angelo Lelli for Lightolier
Desk Lamp by Angelo Lelli for Lightolier
H 20.87 in W 3.55 in D 3.55 in
Extremely Rare Floor Lamp by Lumen Milano
By Lumen
Located in Hanover, MA
table/desk lamp version attributed to Angelo Lelii (Lelli), Gino Sarfatti and Stilnovo.
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Angelo Lelii Brass and Leather Table Lamp for Arredoluce
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Waalwijk, NL
desk light with admirable patinated brass shade, designed by Italian designer Angelo Lelli. The disc
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal, Brass

Pair of Lamps M5023 by Angelo Brotto for Esperia, Italy, 1950s
By Angelo Brotto, Esperia
Located in SAINT-OUEN, FR
Rare and tall pair of table, bedside or desk telescopic and modular lamps model 5023 by Angelo
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Marble, Metal, Brass

Pair of Arredoluce Midcentury Brass and White Aluminium Italian Sconces, 1950s
By Arredoluce
Located in Roma, IT
Tubino desk lamp, released by Arredoluce in 1949, typified their ability to reduce designs to their most
Category

Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Brass, Aluminum

Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce Desk Lamp
Located in San Francisco, CA
Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce desk lamp amazing design from one of the master Italian industrial
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Table Lamps

Materials

Steel, Enamel

Pair of Desk Lamps by Angelo Lelli
By Angelo Lelii
Located in London, GB
Pair of ‘Scrittoio’ counter weight desk lamps in brass and painted metal. Designed by Angelo Lelli
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass, Metal

Pair of Desk Lamps by Angelo Lelli
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Brussels, BE
Pair of desk lamp composed of an adjustable metal dimer slinding on a vertical steel arm, a frosted
Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Table Lamps

Materials

Steel, Brass

Arredoluce Magnetized Multi Positional Table Desk Lamp by Angelo Lelli
By Arredoluce
Located in Atlanta, GA
Rare desk or table lamp designed by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce. This unusual lamp is comprised of
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Arredoluce Desk Lamp
Located in San Francisco, CA
A table lamp with black enameled shade counterweighted by a brass base and arm. Designed by Angelo
Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

Arredoluce Desk Lamp
Arredoluce Desk Lamp
H 10.75 in W 7 in D 2 in
Arredoluce Magnetized Table Desk Lamp by Angelo Lelli
By Arredoluce
Located in Atlanta, GA
Rare desk or table lamp designed by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce. This unusual lamp is comprised of
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Very Large Laurel Brass Dual Desk Lamp, 1960s Modernist Design Lights
By Pierre Guariche, Laurel Lamp Company
Located in Bremen, DE
Mid-Century Dual design desk lamp, very elegant all brass design by Laurel Each light can be
Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

Nikoll Austria Desk Lamp Brass Modernist Design
By Rupert Nikoll
Located in Bremen, DE
Rupert Nikoll, Austria desk lamp, satinated brass single loop frane, very rare design with
Category

Vintage 1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass

Mid Century Erwi Desk Lamp, 1960s Modernist Stilnovo Style Design, Brass
By Stilnovo, Stilux
Located in Bremen, DE
Large Mid-Century desk lamp, origin Austria, 1950s featuring a large diabolo shade with singe loop
Category

Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Brass, Aluminum

Stilnovo Design Desk Lamp Brass Modernist Design 50s Mid Century Modern Italian
By Stilnovo
Located in Bremen, DE
An adjustable Stilnovo design desk lamp with louvered diabolo shade, the arm can be moved back and
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Very Large Stilux Milano Table Desk Lamp, 1950s Modernist Stilnovo Style, Brass
By Stilux
Located in Bremen, DE
Very large adjustable desk lamp by Stilux Milano, featuring a diabolo double reflector (only bottom
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Marble, Aluminum, Brass

Mid Century Italian Desk or Table Lamp in Gray Glass & Marble 1950's
By Angelo Lelii, Stilnovo, Vistosi, Arredoluce
Located in Framingham, MA
Beautiful and rare table lamp atttributed Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce. The light consists of a
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Carrara Marble, Chrome

Very Large Venini Murano Chandelier with 400 Amber Clear Glass Pendant Light
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in Bremen, DE
Italian lamp designer. He is very famous for his work made of Verano glass from the 60s to the 80s. After
Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Steel

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Lelli Desk Lamp For Sale on 1stDibs

Find many varieties of an authentic lelli desk lamp available at 1stDibs. A lelli desk lamp — often made from metal, brass and chrome — can elevate any home. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer lelli desk lamp, there are earlier versions available from the 20th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 20th Century. A lelli desk lamp made by mid-century modern designers — as well as those associated with modern — is very popular. You’ll likely find more than one lelli desk lamp that is appealing in its simplicity, but Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce and Arteluce produced versions that are worth a look.

How Much is a Lelli Desk Lamp?

The average selling price for a lelli desk lamp at 1stDibs is $2,985, while they’re typically $503 on the low end and $35,945 for the highest priced.

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 Lelli Desk Lamp
  • 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021
    A 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.
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 26, 2021
    The 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.
  • 1stDibs 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.

  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021
    There 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, 2022
    The 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, 2022
    British 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.