Original chandelier designs consisted of a cross structure which was displayed in areas where social gatherings took place such as banquet halls or churches. The fitting could be raised or lowered using a pulley so that the height could be adjusted and the lights (Usually candles) could be replaced or extinguished as necessary. Chandeliers were originally used in Bohemia in around the 15th Century. Early designs incorporated the use of crystal to reflect the ceiling lights onto the surrounding walls, a striking feature which continues to be used in both traditional and contemporary designs. In Europe more simplistic designs could be found made from a cross beam of wood with prickets (spikes) at either end. Few designs of this time survived the reformation of the 16th Century. Later, elaborate designs began to be used, although mostly for dances held in the houses of the very wealthy. These designs featured long pendants made from cut glass which were hung from the base of the fitting. However complex the designs became however, the basic structure remained the same in that the arms were there to evenly distribute light around a room. Amazingly, chandeliers have also had their part in the history of science as well as design. Galileo Galilee’s law of the pendulum was discovered after he saw a chandelier swinging in the Pisa cathedral and noted that each swing took the same amount of time, despite every swing being shorter than the one before. Various materials have been used in the construction of chandeliers, mainly to reflect and refract light. Pressed glass was briefly used; however they were dull and lacked the reflective quality needed. Attempts to make designs from rock crystal or quartz were difficult, particularly as the material was expensive, rare, and hard to form into the right shapes. In 1676, an English glassmaker, George Ravens croft, designed a new kind of crystal-like glass, which incorporated the use of lead oxide to make the glass softer and more refractive. Though this was a relatively new idea, the use of lead oxide had been used in ancient Mesopotamia. By 1700, beautiful ceiling lights made from Murano glass began to be used, and during the late 1800’s, Daniel Swarovski invented a machine which could cut jewels with precision. This technology was then expanded for use in the making of luminaries. As gas and electricity began to be a more common source used in ceiling lights, crystal designs became less of a functional item and more of a decorative piece, although smaller versions have since become popular in modern homes. The chandelier design continues to be used well into the 21st Century and takes on many forms, from the fanciful to the minimal.
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