Because of their aesthetic forms, robust materials, and the nostalgic memories to which they refer, old objects often please many people and, from time to time, end up returning to fashion. In the construction industry this is no different. One object that has remained popular forever is the shed light, more specifically the Gooseneck Lamp. Its combination of a traditional look with newer technologies creates an extremely attractive product.
To start talking about this type of lamp, it is necessary to address the popularization of electric energy. In 1879, the American inventor Thomas Edison was able to produce durable electric lighting, making an electric current run through a carbon filament inside an empty glass bulb. Nowadays it is almost impossible to imagine a house without an electric light, but in the early 20th century this was the reality for most buildings. In general, lamps powered by gas and oil illuminated interior spaces, needing to be within reach of people for constant handling.
When electricity reached cities, most buildings, of course, were not prepared for installation. That is, there were no conduits, switches, or electrical outlets to connect the lamps. The reason for using wall lamps (sconces) was simple: the electric lights could only be installed through direct wiring and the lamp would need to be accessible. They usually occupied the locations of old oil or gas lamps.
Gooseneck lamps became popular around the 1900s, usually for lighting exterior spaces such as agricultural sheds and barns. Its name is almost self-explanatory, deriving from the curved and inclined shape of the lamp arm, which resembles the neck of a bird. Combined with the curved stem, the dome, usually painted white, plays an important role in reflecting and directing most of the light emitted downwards.
Due to their timeless and functional design, these lamps remain a sure choice for external projects and even indoors, especially when utilizing more modern and durable manufacturing materials, attractive colors and, above all, more efficient bulbs. A traditional incandescent lamp is notoriously inefficient. That's because more than 95% of the energy used is wasted as heat, leaving only 5% of the electrical input for visible light. For the past fifty years, scientists have worked on ways to improve light bulbs, and today, by far, the best option is LED lighting. So much so that many countries have already banned the sale of incandescent lamps, to help reduce energy consumption.
The great advantage, in addition to the versatility of temperature and intensity, as well as the improved efficiency in electricity use, is also the much longer useful life—a single lamp lasts tens of thousands of hours. In the case of Cocoweb's Gooseneck barn lamps, the pre-installed LED has a warm color temperature of 2700k and is powered by 1600 lumens for a warm glow. The LED is safely secured by a plastic cover for strong protection against adverse weather conditions.
We can observe that, however much the technology changes, there are always some designs that endure and some that become outdated quickly. The case of the gooseneck wall lamp proves that the elegant sophistication of vintage lighting never goes out of style.
