The Dawn of Electricity
The school lamp shade or school house lamp belongs to the early era of the electrical lamp,
which supplanted gas lighting in the early 1900s as cities switched from gas to electric.
Gas was more difficult to manage and set up compared to the new electricity, which led to
many cities and countries adopting the new standard.
A Taste of the 20s
The 20s was a sign of great change and fervor as the markets and finance blossomed,
and technology in the form of factories, cars, the telephone, color photography titillated
and excited an entire generation to the limitless possibilities of the future. The shape
of the school house lamp shade itself is flattened with an interesting pointed top,
as contrasted by its predecessor gas shade that was more spherical or domed.
Historical Antecedents
The school shade has historical roots in old oil lamps found in the Middle East. The following is an antique lamp with a mid-section bearing resemblance to the school shade. The metal housing holds the fuel for the flame while the glass cuts down on the unevenness and glare of the fire.
