Mod Desk Lamp
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Mod Desk Lamp By Aveton Italy, Circa 1965 Yellow Acrylic Cube Shade, Black Metal Base 9 ¾"W x 24 ½"H
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Mod Desk Lamp
Mod Space Age Flex Arm Desk Lamp
By Fagerhult, Lightolier
Located in New York, NY
Iconic Post Modern, Space Age flex arm desk lamp with orb form hood shade. The lamp is in a tan color, with a black collar coil arm which allows for an infinite number of positions, ...
Category
Late 20th Century American Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Lumen Milano Desk Lamp Mod C429 by Oscar Torlasco
By Lumen, Oscar Torlasco
Located in Hanover, MA
An articulating desk lamp model C429 by Lumen Milano in brass, enameled aluminum and marble, late 1940s production. Note the faint vertical seam in the brass base cone indicating...
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Marble, Aluminum, Brass
Martinelli Luce Mod. 732 desk lamp with Clamp – Italy, 1970s
By Elio Martinelli, Martinelli Luce
Located in Dronten, NL
An iconic example of Italian modernist lighting, the Model 732 by Martinelli Luce embodies the brand’s commitment to functional innovation and sculptural clarity. Designed for maximu...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
Oscar Torlasco, mod. 143 brass table / desk lamp, Prod. Lumi, 1950s
By Lumi, Oscar Torlasco
Located in Firenze, IT
Mid-century modern mod.143 rare brass and frosted glass table / desk lamp designed by Oscar Torlasco Lumi, Milan Italy. 1960 ca.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
1970 Mod Space Age White Plastic Gooseneck Desk Lamp by Mobilite
$150Sale Price|40% Off
H 20 in W 6.5 in D 6 in
1970 Mod Space Age White Plastic Gooseneck Desk Lamp by Mobilite
Located in Van Nuys, CA
1970 Space Age Mod style White Plastic Gooseneck Desk Lamp by Mobilite.
Category
Vintage 1970s American Post-Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Plastic
Space Age Chrome Magnetic Desk Lamp, 1974 Italian Luci Mod. 414
By luci
Located in London, GB
Italian Luci Mod. 414 Space Age Chrome Magnetic Desk Lamp, 1974 A striking Italian desk lamp, Model 414 by Luci Italia, designed and produced in 1974.
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Stilnovo Desk Lamp Mod. D 4639, Stilnovo, Milan Italy, circa 1950s
By Stilnovo
Located in Firenze, IT
Rare executive Desk / table lamp mod. D 4639, Stilnovo, Milan Italy, circa 1950s Patinated brass, chromium-plated metal, brass and opaque glass.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Elio Martinelli, mod. 2135 Robot red desk lamp, Martinelli Luce Italy 1966
$378
H 11.82 in W 9.45 in D 5.91 in
Elio Martinelli, mod. 2135 Robot red desk lamp, Martinelli Luce Italy 1966
Located in Firenze, IT
Robot Table / Desk Lamp Mod. 2135 designed by Elio Martinelli Produced by Martinelli Luce, Italy 1966 Bright red aluminum H 30 × 24 × 15 cm Conditions: good consistent wi...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum
Mod. 2525 desk lamp designed by Giorgio Reggiori for Fontana Arte 1969
$4,737
H 13 in W 10.63 in D 3.55 in
Mod. 2525 desk lamp designed by Giorgio Reggiori for Fontana Arte 1969
By Giorgio Reggiori
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Rare table lamp model 2525 designed by Giorgio Reggiori for Fontana Arte in 1969. Frame made of printed and frosted Saint-Gobain glass sheets, chrome-plated and painted brass frame, ...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Space age Calotta mod. 660 red table / desk lamp, Martinelli Luce Italy, 1972
$828
H 23.63 in W 23.63 in D 11.82 in
Space age Calotta mod. 660 red table / desk lamp, Martinelli Luce Italy, 1972
By Martinelli Luce, Elio Martinelli
Located in Firenze, IT
"Calotta" or “Vertebra” Table / Desk Lamp mod. 660 designed by Elio Martinelli Produced by Martinelli Luce, Italy 1972 Bright red plastic and aluminum H 60 x 30 x 60 cm Condition...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Oscar Torlasco, Rare Pair of Mod. 577 Table / Desk Lamp, Lumi Milan, 1960
$8,881 / set
H 15.36 in W 9.06 in D 3.15 in
Oscar Torlasco, Rare Pair of Mod. 577 Table / Desk Lamp, Lumi Milan, 1960
By Oscar Torlasco, Arredoluce
Located in Firenze, IT
Oscar Torlasco rare pair of table lamp mod.577Prod. Lumi, Italia, circa 1960 Model 577 was designed in 1960. lacquered metal and brass structure. Glass lens. Black painted b...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Oscar Torlasco Mid Century Modern Desk Light Mod. No '577' for Lumi Italy 1960s
$4,500
H 14.57 in W 5.12 in D 9.06 in
Oscar Torlasco Mid Century Modern Desk Light Mod. No '577' for Lumi Italy 1960s
By Oscar Torlasco, Lumi
Located in München, BY
Lovely Mid Century Modern desk light or table lamp. Model No '577'. Designed by the famous Italian Designer Oscar Torlasco for Lumi, Milan, 1960s. Marked: Manufacturer's label LUMI ...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Mod. 12297 Adjustable Table Lamp by Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, Italy, c.1950
$7,943
H 14.97 in Dm 9.85 in
Mod. 12297 Adjustable Table Lamp by Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, Italy, c.1950
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in London, GB
A rare Mod. 12297 table or desk lamp designed by Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, Italy, c.1950.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
Modernist Black Vintage Metal Desk Lamp Ala by Rodolfo Bonetto, Italy, 1983
$1,954
H 30.71 in Dm 27.56 in
Modernist Black Vintage Metal Desk Lamp Ala by Rodolfo Bonetto, Italy, 1983
By Rodolfo Bonetto
Located in Vienna, AT
Modernist black vintage desk lamp Mod. No. 4055 was designed by Rodolfo Bonetto 1983 and produced by Sirrah, Imola Italy.
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Luis Perez De La Oliva Fase "Boomerang 2000" Articulated Desk Lamp, Spain 1970s
$947
H 16.15 in W 11.82 in D 22.05 in
Luis Perez De La Oliva Fase "Boomerang 2000" Articulated Desk Lamp, Spain 1970s
By Fase
Located in Naples, IT
Large desk lamp mod. "Boomerang 2000" , gray/silver enameled steel arm pivoted on round nickel-plated metal base, frosted glass shade with nickel-plated metal cover.
Category
Vintage 1970s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Steel
Recent Sales
Mod.243 Desk Lamp by Angelo Ostuni & Roberto Forti for Oluce, 1950s
Unavailable
H 18.51 in Dm 11.03 in
Mod.243 Desk Lamp by Angelo Ostuni & Roberto Forti for Oluce, 1950s
By Oluce, Angelo Ostuni
Located in Brussels , BE
Mod.243 desk lamp by Angelo Ostuni & Roberto Forti for Oluce, 1950s.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Rare Table / Desk Lamps by Oscar Torlasco, Mod. 577G Lumi Milan, 1950
Unavailable
H 14.77 in W 5.52 in D 7.88 in
Rare Table / Desk Lamps by Oscar Torlasco, Mod. 577G Lumi Milan, 1950
By Oscar Torlasco, Arredoluce
Located in Bonita Springs, FL
Table Lamp Model 577G by Oscar Torlasco for Lumi, Italy, 1950s A refined and rare Model 577G table lamp designed by Oscar Torlasco for Lumi, Italy, in the 1950s. This sculptural ligh...
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Rare Set of 2 Table / Desk Lamps by Oscar Torlasco, Mod. 577 Lumi Milan, 1960
Unavailable
H 14.77 in W 5.52 in D 7.88 in
Rare Set of 2 Table / Desk Lamps by Oscar Torlasco, Mod. 577 Lumi Milan, 1960
By Oscar Torlasco, Arredoluce
Located in Bonita Springs, FL
Oscar Torlasco rare pair of table lamp mod.577 Prod. Lumi, Italia, circa 1960 Model 577. Black- Brownish painted brass square conical base, painted with wrinkle paint. Built-in tra...
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
70's Mod Desk Lamp by Casella Lighting
By Casella
Located in Danville, CA
80's Modern desk lamp by the venerable Casella Lighting of San Francisco. Casella Lighting provided the highest quality designer lighting to the Trade and this piece was one of thei...
Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Desk lamp Mod. 8051 by Stilnovo
By Stilnovo
Located in Girona, Girona
Desk lamp, black lacquered brass structure and nickel plated metal, white glass orientable shade. Signed on the base: Stilnovo Italy Model 8051 Maker: Stilnovo Italy c. 1960
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Mod Brass Double Shade Desk Lamp
Located in Danville, CA
Fine quality Brass desk lamp with swiveling demilune shades attributed to Nessen Studios. Solid Brass base measures 6 x 10.25. Each shade measures 8 x 4.5 x 3 high. Overall height...
Category
Late 20th Century American Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
1970's Adjustable Mod Tube Desk Lamp
Located in San Mateo, CA
Black plastic and metal tube desk lamp. This lamp has a gooseneck feature and is adjustable to many positions. The shade portion turns about 20 degrees to further direct the light. T...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Fabulous Mod Sculptural " HOLELY" Ceramic Table/ Desk Lamp
Located in North Miami, FL
This monumental and amazing ceramic lamp from the 60's is artful and sculptural. We call this wholly holey.... The inside has a casing of original mesh fabric that results in some...
Category
Vintage 1960s American Modern Table Lamps
Red Stilnovo mod. 8042 Desk Lamp from the 1950s
By Stilnovo
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Adjustable desk lamp mod. 8042 from the 1959 manufactured by Stilnovo, original red painting and mint condition chrome structure.
Category
Vintage 1950s Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum, Chrome
Gold Brown Metal and Chrome Midcentury Desk Lamp Mod. 520 by Fase Madrid Spain
Sold
H 16.93 in W 11.82 in D 19.69 in
Gold Brown Metal and Chrome Midcentury Desk Lamp Mod. 520 by Fase Madrid Spain
By Fase
Located in Vienna, AT
Rotating light golden brown enamelled Metal Desk lamp from the Spanish lighting manufacturer Fase Madrid designed in the 1960s. It featres an adjustable disc shaped shade with frost...
Category
Vintage 1960s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Italian Desk Lamp
Located in Asbury Park, NJ
A mod Italian desk lamp with exquisite lines and exceptional construction.
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Desk Lamp Attributed to Tito Agnoli for Oluce
By Gio Ponti
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Desk lamp MOD. 255 (1954) composed by three components made of metal: a clamp, a thin stem and a cylindrical light holder with a single bulb lamp.
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
RAAK Cobra Table Desk Lamp with Chrome Accent and Red On/Off Switch
By RAAK
Located in Los Angeles, CA
MOD RAAK Goose neck desk lamp with cobra-like non-flexible body, original European candelabra socket and red push button light switch.
Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Italian mid-century Adjustable table lamp Naska Loris by Jac Jacobsen Luxo 1950s
Sold
H 24.02 in W 21.66 in D 8.67 in
Italian mid-century Adjustable table lamp Naska Loris by Jac Jacobsen Luxo 1950s
By Jac Jacobsen, Luxo
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern Adjustable table lamp Naska Loris by Jac Jacobsen for Luxo, 1950s Table or desk lamp mod.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Mod Desk Table Lamp by Laurel
By Laurel Lamp Company
Located in New York, NY
Laurel desk, table lamp, having a circular hood shade ( 12 inch Diameter ) on tubular vertical stand with disk form base. Original, clean and working condition, finish shows cosmetic...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Italian 1970s Mod Desk Light
Located in New York, NY
A fun piece of 1970s Italian mod design lighting. An off-white enamel globe is suspended from a chromed goose neck rod that has a black plastic screw on table or desk attachment. Req...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome, Enamel, Metal
Oscar Torlasco, Mod. 577 Table / Desk Lamp, Lumi Milan, Italy, 1960
Sold
H 15.36 in W 9.06 in D 3.15 in
Oscar Torlasco, Mod. 577 Table / Desk Lamp, Lumi Milan, Italy, 1960
By Oscar Torlasco, Lumi
Located in Firenze, IT
Oscar Torlasco rare mod.577 table / desk lamp Prod. Lumi, Italia, circa 1960 lacquered metal and brass structure.
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
Mod Space Age Chrome Desk Lamp by Sonneman c. 1970's
By Ingo Maurer, Sonneman Lighting
Located in New York, NY
Classic Space Age modernist design tubular chrome desk lamp, by Robert Sonneman reminiscent of the Maurer Gulp lamp. circa 1970's. This example is in very good, original, clean and...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Chrome
Angelo Brotto, Mod. 5023 Desk / Table Lamp, Esperia, Italy, circa 1950
Sold
H 25.6 in W 22.05 in D 9.06 in
Angelo Brotto, Mod. 5023 Desk / Table Lamp, Esperia, Italy, circa 1950
By Angelo Brotto, Esperia
Located in Firenze, IT
Model No. 5023 desk lamp designed by Angelo Brotto, manufactured by Esperia, Italy, circa 1950s. Silvery salvias colour enamel, black and brass extendible rod and details. Yell...
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Marble, Aluminum, Brass
Oscar Torlasco Mod. 331 Brass Desk / Table Lamp, Prod. Lumi, circa 1950
By Oscar Torlasco, Lumi
Located in Firenze, IT
Oscar Torlasco mod. 331 rare brass and lacquered white & black aluminium table / desk lamp Produced by Lumi, Italy, circa 1950 Triple light bulbs.
Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
1970s Mod Chrome Adjustable Desk Lamp from Italy DMI-Italian Carrara Marble
By Robert Sonneman, Neal Small
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1970s Small table or desk lamp with adjustable aluminum shade and chrome plated hardware. Stamped DMI similar to Neal Small for Koch & Lowy and Robert Sonneman's Aluminum Spot lamp ...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Carrara Marble, Chrome
Mod Space Age Mid Century Adjustable TIK Desk Lamp by Robert Sonneman c. 1970's
Sold
H 25 in W 6 in D 10 in
Mod Space Age Mid Century Adjustable TIK Desk Lamp by Robert Sonneman c. 1970's
By Sonneman Lighting, Robert Sonneman
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional Modernist, Space Age, Mid Century adjustable desk lamp by Robert Sonneman, circa 1970's. This model, known as a TIK lamp, features a perforated metal disk form shade in ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Japanese Space Age Table Lamps
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Italian "Serpente" Table Lamp by Elio Martinelli for Martinelli Luce, 1960s
Sold
H 17.72 in Dm 17.72 in
Italian "Serpente" Table Lamp by Elio Martinelli for Martinelli Luce, 1960s
By Elio Martinelli, Martinelli Luce
Located in Rome, IT
Mod. 599 ''Serpente'' swivelling desk lamp designed by Elio Martinelli and produced by Martinelli Luce in Italy since 1965.
Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Iron
Orange Lacquered Mod Desk Lamp by Arlus
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Orange lacquered desk lamp, cylindrical shade, and chrome stem base. By Arlus, French circa 1960. Height 18 1/2 in, diameter of shade 13 1/4 in. (Item #1548) $950
Category
Vintage 1960s French Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Mod Lightolier Desk Lamp
By Lightolier
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Modern desk lamp with molded acrylic dome-shaped shade, acrylic riser and base and double socket.
Category
Vintage 1960s American Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Enamel
Rectangular Brass Desk Lamp Mod Ds115 by Philips AS, Norway, 1950s
Sold
H 10.63 in W 19.1 in D 7.88 in
Rectangular Brass Desk Lamp Mod Ds115 by Philips AS, Norway, 1950s
By Philips
Located in Stockholm, SE
Lovely Norwegian rectangular shaped brass table/desklamp made by Philips in the 1950s. Brass shade and body with a white metal inner shade. Light switch located on the brass base. Th...
Category
Vintage 1950s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Minimalistic Mod. 613 Articulating Desk Lamp by Paolo Rizzatto for Arteluce 1975
Sold
H 38.19 in W 47.25 in D 6.7 in
Minimalistic Mod. 613 Articulating Desk Lamp by Paolo Rizzatto for Arteluce 1975
By Arteluce, Paolo Rizzatto
Located in Koper, SI
This lamp was designed by Italian architect and designer Paolo Rizzatto in 1975, and was his second project, the table version of the 265 wall lamp. This lamp was conceived to cover ...
Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Rare large desk lamp by Christian Dell for Kaiser Idell, mod 6787, Germany 1950
Sold
H 15.75 in W 14.97 in D 23.63 in
Rare large desk lamp by Christian Dell for Kaiser Idell, mod 6787, Germany 1950
By Kaiser Idell, Christian Dell
Located in Basel, BS
Rare large model of Christian Dells iconic Stilnovo lighting design. Made by Kaiser Idell in Germany in the 1950-ies. Table/ desk lamp model 6787, with black metal shade and a beau...
Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Metal, Brass
Pair of Clay Michie Desk Lamps for Knoll International
By Clay Michie
Located in Berlin, DE
very nice pair of iconic Clay Mitchie Desk Lamps Mod. 8 edited by Knoll International , rotates 360 degrees
Category
Vintage 1950s American Table Lamps
Materials
Metal
Lovely Brass and Teak Table Lamp by Einar Bäckström, Sweden 1950s
By Einar Backstrom
Located in Stockholm, SE
Lovely teak and brass table/desk lamp mod 5220 by Einar Bäckström, Sweden 1950s.
Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
Materials
Brass
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By Diego Mardegan
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
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By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in London, GB
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Mod Desk Lamp For Sale on 1stDibs
Find many varieties of an authentic mod desk lamp available at 1stDibs. Each mod desk lamp for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, brass and chrome. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect mod desk lamp — we have versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century are available. When you’re browsing for the right mod desk lamp, those designed in Mid-Century Modern and Modern styles are of considerable interest. A well-made mod desk lamp has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Stilnovo, Arteluce and Casella are consistently popular.
How Much is a Mod Desk Lamp?
A mod desk lamp can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $1,100, while the lowest priced sells for $300 and the highest can go for as much as $2,000.
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 Mod Desk Lamp
- 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 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 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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