Antique Bridge Lamps

Vanessa Weber Interior Design Expert

Vanessa is a New York-based designer specializing in architectural lighting. Whether you are planning an event, want to illuminate your backyard retreat or simply need advice on what lamp to purchase for your bedroom, Vanessa will be more than happy to share her knowledge and expertise.

Updated 12/04/2021

Gorgeous, classical, regal, and looking like something on a bridge over the Thames in London, these antique bridge lamps are a magnificent testament to a time where lamps has style and grace, and where on bridges not just for light, but for ambiance. Take a long stroll through this collection and see what we mean. You home will benefit from one or more of these lamps.

Buying Guide

Bridge lamps are one of the lighting fixtures that became immensely popular during the transitional phase of various art movements. It was prevalent during art deco as well as Nouveau, thanks to the rising popularity of bridge and other card games as a leisure activity.

Today, these lamps make for excellent accent pieces. Not to mention that they are functional as well. Swap your mundane reading light with an antique bridge lamp and you have a functional centerpiece in your bedroom.

Here’s a small guide that shows you how to shop for one of these beauties.

What is a bridge lamp?

A bridge lamp is a floor lamp that was used to illuminate the floor or a table used for recreational games, like the bridge. It can be identified easily by its unusually long base and a bridge arm that houses a downward directional light.

The base can be made of cast iron, brass, bronze or zinc, which were the metals that were prevalent in lamp making at the time, while the lampshade can either be glass or fabric. Almost all manufacturers of lighting fixtures made bridge lamps in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In fact, these lamps continued to be manufactured well into the 1950s.

How tall is the base in antique bridge lamps?

The metal base in a bridge lamp is 54 – 60 inches tall. This makes it just about the perfect height for a reading lamp if you place it next to the bed. But the height also makes it highly prone to tipping over if it gets knocked or bumped. So, you’ve got to ensure that you place it flush against a wall to prevent this from happening. For this reason, bridge lamps are commonly placed in corners.

Also, many manufacturers, like Tiffany used a heavy metal base or a lead ring under the base to prevent the lamps from getting knocked over. Check to see if the lamp you like is base heavy or has the lead ring contraption under the base.

What lamp shades make a perfect fit for antique bridge lamps?

A lot of antique bridge lamps have the metallic bases in immaculate condition, but come with damaged lamp shades. That’s more common in lamps with fabric lampshades which might have worn out or frayed with time.

However, lampshades are easily replaceable with an antique or a modern replica. There are dozens of options to choose from. Most bridge lamps in those days used a conical lamp shade. But designs like floral, geometrical shapes or contemporary ones also make for excellent décor pieces.

As long as you can source an authentic base and extension arm, go ahead and buy it.

How to identify the manufacturer of an antique bridge lamp?

As is the case with any antique lighting fixture, it is highly recommended that you look for signs or markings that helps you identify the manufacturer and year. In case of bridge lamps, the markings were mostly stamped on the base or under it.

The older the lamp, the more difficult it will be to find the markings because it can get faded or difficult to read due to the patina.

There are many online public resources that help you identify antique lamps and ascertain their monetary value. All you need to do is click some pictures of the lamp and upload them to these websites.