Fluorescent Fixtures

In reality, it was gas lighting. With gas lighting, the light source had to be high enough not to set anybodies hair on fire, and far enough below the ceiling that the exhaust plume above the lamp had had a chance to disperse before it got there.

Gas lighting was an expensive luxury when first introduced, and the high ceilings it necessiatated became a class marker, which persisted well into the era of electric lighting.

to be high enough not to set anybodies hair on fire, and far enough below t he ceiling that the exhaust plume above the lamp had had a chance to disper se before it got there.

Sounds good, but I do not think it is accurate. The only house with gas li ghting plumbing that I have seen had an eight foot ceiling and the lights w ould have been about five and a half feet above the floor. Of course it had been converted to electricity , but I know it was an eight foot ceiling because helped sheet rock the house. And was conscious of the height of t he gas lights as I helped remove te gas pipes. The house was built in abou t 1865 in Peekskill, N.Y.

Dan

d to be high enough not to set anybody's hair on fire, and far enough below the ceiling that the exhaust plume above the lamp had had a chance to disp erse before it got there.

lighting plumbing that I have seen had an eight foot ceiling and the lights would have been about five and a half feet above the floor. Of course i t had been converted to electricity , but I know it was an eight foot ceili ng because helped sheet rock the house. And was conscious of the height of the gas lights as I helped remove te gas pipes. The house was built in ab out 1865 in Peekskill, N.Y.

Dan, you need to be a bit more explicit in your explanation of why your sin gle example of a house with surviving (if un-used) gas-light plumbing and e ight-foot ceilings is a counter-example to my claim that the fashion for hi gh ceilings was established by up-market gas-lit houses, and survived - to some extent - as a feature of up-market housing after gas-lighting had beco me obsolete.

If you don't think my explanation is accurate, you really should explain wh y, or you may be suspected of disagreeing with everything I post for irrati onal reasons.

had to be high enough not to set anybody's hair on fire, and far enough bel ow the ceiling that the exhaust plume above the lamp had had a chance to di sperse before it got there.

s lighting plumbing that I have seen had an eight foot ceiling and the ligh ts would have been about five and a half feet above the floor. Of course it had been converted to electricity , but I know it was an eight foot cei ling because helped sheet rock the house. And was conscious of the height of the gas lights as I helped remove te gas pipes. The house was built in about 1865 in Peekskill, N.Y.

ingle example of a house with surviving (if un-used) gas-light plumbing and eight-foot ceilings is a counter-example to my claim that the fashion for high ceilings was established by up-market gas-lit houses, and survived - t o some extent - as a feature of up-market housing after gas-lighting had be come obsolete.

why, or you may be suspected of disagreeing with everything I post for irra tional reasons.

I do not think your explanation is accurate because I have seen an actual h ouse with pipes for gas lighting. If the bit about having to have the gasl ights high to prevent poeple from buring their hair was accurate the one ex ample I have would have set a lot of people on fire. Besides if the light s were mounted higher they would have been a pain in the ass , needing a sh ort ladder to turn on the lights. And obviously a high ceiling was not req uired because this house did not have high ceilings. I would think any hal fway inteligent person would not need to have this spelled out in detail.

So here have a concrete example showing one thing and you say something e lse is true , but post not cites. You really ought to provide some kind o f evidance , not just claim something is true and not provide anything to b ack up your assertion.

Some old schools that I did work in had gas lamps when they were built. Several mansions built by owners of steel mills and paper mills, as well. The gas lights were all low enough to be lit without a ladder.

e had to be high enough not to set anybody's hair on fire, and far enough b elow the ceiling that the exhaust plume above the lamp had had a chance to disperse before it got there.

gas lighting plumbing that I have seen had an eight foot ceiling and the li ghts would have been about five and a half feet above the floor. Of cour se it had been converted to electricity , but I know it was an eight foot c eiling because helped sheet rock the house. And was conscious of the heigh t of the gas lights as I helped remove te gas pipes. The house was built i n about 1865 in Peekskill, N.Y.

single example of a house with surviving (if un-used) gas-light plumbing a nd eight-foot ceilings is a counter-example to my claim that the fashion fo r high ceilings was established by up-market gas-lit houses, and survived - to some extent - as a feature of up-market housing after gas-lighting had become obsolete.

n why, or you may be suspected of disagreeing with everything I post for ir rational reasons.

house with pipes for gas lighting. If the bit about having to have the ga slights high to prevent poeple from buring their hair was accurate the one example I have would have set a lot of people on fire.

Gas lights had glass shades, they weren't going to set anyone's hair on fir e. 5'6" was high up enough not to in the 1800s anyway. I've been in a gasli t property years ago. The earliest gaslights were a different design to lat er ones, using a fishtail burner - I don't know if the first ones might hav e been unshaded.

the ass , needing a short ladder to turn on the lights. And obviously a h igh ceiling was not required because this house did not have high ceilings.

spelled out in detail.

else is true , but post not cites. You really ought to provide some kind of evidance , not just claim something is true and not provide anything to back up your assertion.

NT

I've never heard that high ceilings had anything to do with gas lights. Gas would have replaced candles which were often on wall mounted fixtures. Replace the candle holders with gas lights and Bob's your uncle. No need to make up stuff about setting hair on fire.

High ceilings were always preferable because of hot summers and heat rising while cool air settles. I think that started with caves, and not gas lit caves.

not

Ten-foot ceilings give a feeling of space and rest, I think. Eight-foot cei lings are halfway to a basement. ;)

(My joint has 8-foot ceilings, but the setting more than makes up for it.)

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

I don't think we have an 8' ceiling in the place. They're all 9'-15', some both (cathedral). The house we had in VT had 7'2" ceilings in every room except the livingroom (cathedral). I like the high ceilings.

I did, too. Until I could no longer climb a ladder. Now, low ceilings make it easier to change light bulbs, or put up a ceiling fan.

e had to be high enough not to set anybody's hair on fire, and far enough b elow the ceiling that the exhaust plume above the lamp had had a chance to disperse before it got there.

gas lighting plumbing that I have seen had an eight foot ceiling and the li ghts would have been about five and a half feet above the floor. Of cour se it had been converted to electricity , but I know it was an eight foot c eiling because helped sheet rock the house. And was conscious of the heigh t of the gas lights as I helped remove te gas pipes. The house was built i n about 1865 in Peekskill, N.Y.

single example of a house with surviving (if un-used) gas-light plumbing a nd eight-foot ceilings is a counter-example to my claim that the fashion fo r high ceilings was established by up-market gas-lit houses, and survived - to some extent - as a feature of up-market housing after gas-lighting had become obsolete.

n why, or you may be suspected of disagreeing with everything I post for ir rational reasons.

house with pipes for gas lighting. If the bit about having to have the ga slights high to prevent poeple from buring their hair was accurate the one example I have would have set a lot of people on fire.

You saw where the pipes were on the wall, not the connections to the lights , which weren't there any more - the tendency was to put the lamps close to the centre of the room, not close to the wall, where the hot exhaust would discolour the wall-paper.

he ass, needing a short ladder to turn on the lights.

Not really. Ever seen pictures of guys lighting gas lamp street lighting?

Long tapers were what was used for anything much above shoulder level - a f lame on a stick. One could also have used a flint and steel lighter on a st ick - I had one for my glass-blowing torch after I got sick of the smokers nicking my matches.

have high ceilings. I would think any halfway inteligent person would not need to have this spelled out in detail.

Eight-feet high ceilings are pretty high.

else is true , but post not cites. You really ought to provide some kind of evidance, not just claim something is true and not provide anything to back up your assertion.

You hadn't spelled out your - faulty - reasoning, as you now have done. My position is that the proposition that gas lights mean high ceilings is wide ly accepted, and normally doesn't need a lot of explicit support.

You didn't advance any evidence that contradicted my point of view - and st ill haven't, not that you seem to have realised this.

Much better to be suspected of being a half-wit than to say enough to make the conclusion unavoidable

If you stop posting fewer people will think you are a half-wit.

Dan

Yeah, I had to go out and buy a 12' step ladder, just to hang the dining room chandelier, when I bought this place. I haven't painted yet, so I probably won't like 'em much then.

Probably not. Quite a few people here think that my political ideas are incorrect, but - unlike you - what I do post is more or less coherent.

What about the pipes running to the middle of the ceiling ? I have personally seen many of those. Apparently the had a way of shielding the heat.

Many of them were on the walls of course, but I remember a few times I had to remove them to put up a new light or ceiling fan.

They had some way to shield the heat and not burn the place down. Never saw the actual fixtures they use though.

Bottom line, they definitely had ceiling mounted gas lights, otherwise why would the pipes be there ?

You are correct. What you do post is less coherent.

Dan

My guess is that the five foot six inch height is where the gas taps were mounted (which probably would have been worth enough to strip out).

The taps themselves and the pipe-work above them probably got stripped out, but the pipes below the taps probably weren't worth enough to cover the cost of tidying up the wall after they'd been stripped out.

Some were quite decorative, and were adapted to accomodate electric light bulbs.

Good question.

That's not quite what I said, but your imperfect reading comprehension is an adequate explanation of what you posted (if one skips the malicious stupidity - are you going into competition with krw?).

And your perception of what might be correct is about as reliable as your perception of what might be coherent, which is to say - not at all.

Ah, you are just trying to have people think you are a quarter wit.

Dan