Lampshades, that is. Pig bladder or pink silk vintage lampshades can take ten years off the wrinkles on your face. When it comes to lampshades, you can naturally  photo shop your salon “selfie” by sitting next to the right antique lampshade choice.

While the 19th century might have been limited to capturing the moment in black and white, turn of the century ladies certainly recognized the talents of “la vie en rose” lampshades to turn grey, sallow complexions into positively radiating countenances. In the words of one Victorian dowager, “…a dim railway light is still becoming to me.” With the right shade there was no need to stand on the platform.

A bit of lampshade history…

The very first lampshades were designed to accompany domestic oil lamps. Their purpose was not so much aesthetic, but more protection from the open flames. During the 17^th century, as oil lamps began to appear in European cities, reflectors were installed to direct the light to the dark streets below. With the introduction of much brighter gas lamps, shades in opaline, glass, parchment and fabric were introduced to dim the light. Read more