Since we live indoors, interior lighting is important to the overall atmosphere of a room. This wasn’t always the case, though. In the 1940s and 1950s, flush mounted ceiling lights were the norm. In our kitchen, we have a period example.
This light is ugly. I imagine it was ugly when it was new, and age hasn’t improved it any. The fixture uses two incandescent bulbs that put out more heat than light, wasting as much energy as possible in the process. The light is flush mounted in the middle of the kitchen ceiling. This guarantees that unless you are standing directly under it, any thing you do will be in your own shadow. The stove and sink are permanently attached to the walls, and there isn’t enough room for the table anywhere else but against a wall. Shadow City.
We fight the darkness by using candlelight at the table and fluorescent lighting mounted under the cabinet above the stove. Eating what we cook is possible, but washing dishes after sunset is more by braille that anything visual because there isn’t anywhere over the sink to mount another light.
These days though, you can replace you vintage ceiling light with modern reproductions. I found this one to be a close match to what we have now. A real bargain at only $394.00, with shade. Of course, the only place to mount this light on the ceiling, in the middle of the kitchen. Progress!
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