Mystery, Magnificence or Allure? Lighting In The Historic Bedchamber

Lisa White, MA, FSA

Creating sufficient light for the night time bedchamber in the ages before electricity was challenging, expensive and often dangerous. This talk will develop knowledge about the materials used, their hierarchy, location and the results they produced. In particular, the talk will focus on the impact of artificial light on the design, decoration and destination of furnishing for the bedchamber, from textiles for the bed to lacquer and japanning. Magnificence will be contrasted with modesty, with a discussion of lighting for significant stage sets such as Lying-In and Lying in State.