Art and literature portray the very different way of life before the introduction of electric light.

The daily schedule of previous generations was governed by the hours of daylight and the provision of artificial light.
This lavishly illustrated historical survey of the forms of lighting used in the domestic interior makes extensive use of contemporary7 paintings, drawings and engravings. These are integrated with photographs of the various lighting forms, such as chandeliers, wall sconces, candlesticks and lamps for oil, gas or electricity: objects which need to be functional and fashionable. Illustrations have been selected to show how designers and manufacturers developed the art of lighting.

The use of lighting in decorative schemes, and the styles and designs employed throughout Europe and America are discussed chronologically, together with summaries of developments in the techniques of lighting. Captions to the illustrations describe the object and, where appropriate, comment on its provenance and design source, or give biographical details of makers and their associations within their trade. Complementing the text and captions are extracts from works of literature, which reveal the uses and significance of different forms of lighting in their particular periods.

The resulting book provides a fascinating insight into lighting from the Renaissance to the Art Nouveau period which will be indispensable to historians, collectors and students, and practitioners of interior design, decoration and restoration.