Consider entering your grandparents’ home, where every room had a story to tell and every corner possessed a relic. Of these, the oil lamp shelves placed on the walls to this day will make you feel the warmth that you used to experience while reading under them. These shelves, which were an important part of the early twentieth-century houses, were not just practical – they were a symbol of a time when the light of an oil lamp would unite family members in the evening.
Usually wooden or metallic, oil lamp shelves were commonly located in various parts of the house to ensure the light’s effectiveness. These shelves were frequently located on walls in the living room, bedrooms, and hallways. They were not randomly placed; they were strategically positioned to ensure that there was enough light for activities done in the evening such as reading, sewing or even family meetings.
The form of these shelves or niches was quite diverse, ranging from flat ledges to more complex constructions complete with guardrails to avoid lamp tip overs. In wealthier homes, these shelves may have been elaborately decorated or even incorporated into the design of the room, complete with carved-out niches and fancy trim that matched the rest of the house.
This was because oil lamps presented a fire risk due to the exposed flame. Shelves for oil lamps were therefore intended to keep the lamps stowed away from the everyday activities in the house while at the same time letting in the light. These were usually located in positions that were not easily accessible to children and not close to curtains or any other combustible material. This tactical positioning ensured that risks of fire breakouts were reduced to the barest minimum while issuing adequate light.
The existence of oil lamp shelves in old houses gives us an insight into the lifestyles and the technological advancements that were available at the time. Lighting was an important part of people’s lives before the use of gas and electric lights and this meant that the management of lighting was an important part of the daily routine and architecture. These shelves were an important part of the interior design and showed how people of that time managed to optimize the use of living spaces.
Today, oil lamp shelves in historic homes are kept for both their functionality and their historical and cultural value. In the modern homes where such shelves have been installed, they are used for storing candles, plant among other items to enhance the beauty of the house. This is because preservation measures always aim at preserving the original construction features and the material used in the construction in this case the design of the period.
Therefore, the shelves for oil lamps in old houses are not only practical furniture pieces, but they are also a symbol of the creativity of the previous generations and a link to the tangible world of the past. Such details give us ideas about the changes that were made by our ancestors and make us reflect on how these architectural landmarks should be preserved.
INSIDE MARIAH CAREY’S SHOCKING SILENCE: WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE HER SISTER’S DEATH?
Mariah Carey did not talk to her sister, Alison, before she died. The reason? Alison’s struggle with drug addiction created a big distance between the two sisters.
Sources close to the family shared with TMZ that Mariah did not reach out to Alison in her final days. Instead, she spent the last week with their mother, Patricia, who was also very ill.
Mariah was not in contact with Alison, and sources say it’s because Alison struggled with addiction for many years. Mariah had tried to help her sister emotionally and financially, but it wasn’t enough to help Alison get clean.
Eventually, Mariah felt she had to show Alison tough love. She didn’t want to enable her sister’s behavior, so she decided to cut off contact and distance herself from Alison.
As we reported, Alison passed away over the weekend—the same day their mother died—without any contact from Mariah.
Mariah talked about her relationships with her mom and sister in her 2020 memoir, *The Meaning of Mariah Carey*. In the book, she claimed that Alison had once “drugged me with Valium, offered me a pinky nail full of cocaine, inflicted me with third-degree burns, and tried to sell me out to a pimp.”
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