Lamps

Early lights for the home were candle flames or fuel-burning lamps. When the electric light was invented, a new type of lamp could be designed. A closed lampshade was possible because there was no flame and relatively little heat. In the early 1900s, when Arts and Crafts and mission styles were popular, lamps were made to blend with the heavy, straight, oak furniture. Box-like wooden columns or iron, copper or pottery bases were preferred.

I'm crazy for oysters, always have been. At Hog Island Oysters near Bodega Bay, I've been known to down three or four dozen at a time, all shucked, slowly, by me. Wherever I'm headed, you can be sure I've got the oyster bars mapped out ahead of time. So when news came that a new oyster bar was about to open across from LA Mill in Silver Lake, I was thrilled. Even sweeter, the partners in the new spot are Dustin Lancaster and Matthew Kaner, the duo that brought Los Feliz the quality wine bar Covell.

Executives at Toys R Us, the national toy chain, R mad that the centerpiece of their company's logo appears in other retailers' names. So, Toys R Us lawyers have fired off dozens of angry letters in recent years to tell people to quit using the "R," and they've taken several companies to court to force removal of the letter.

DIGITAL "The Films of Charles and Ray Eames. " $79.99, available at the Museum of Modern Art online gift shop, momastore.org . NONDIGITAL "California Houses of Gordon Drake. " $39.95, available at William Stout Publishers, stoutpublishers.com . SPLURGE Grasshopper floor lamp, $875 at Design Within Reach, (800) 944-2233 or dwr.com . BARGAIN Arts & Architecture prints, $19.95 each, shop.lacma.org . Thanks to Pacific Standard Time and in particular to the ongoing LACMA exhibition "Living in a Modern Way: California Design 1930-1965," L.A.'s Midcentury design pioneers are back in the spotlight.

You'd never guess while browsing the decidedly unglamorous storefront of Carl's Custom Lamps & Shades that owner Carl M. Freedman's clientele includes A-list stars, interior designer Barbara Barry and home furnishings maven Suzanne Rheinstein of Hollyhock. But don't let the nondescript Beverly Boulevard showroom fool you. Carl's happens to be where many Hollywood pros-in-the-know shop when they need lights for the camera and action.

Finding fixtures and lamps for period-influenced interiors can be just as important as choosing the furniture. "The biggest misconception I hear is that ‘I can't afford period lighting,' " Lara Spencer says. "But the truth is you can find really nice vintage fixtures for the same as or not much less than some mass-market reproductions if you just know where to look." She thinks of lighting as the "jewelry" that finishes a room — "a fun way to make a big statement," she says.

It took torrential rainfalls to show 20th century archaeologists that a 2,000-year-old trove of gold might be buried at Vani, an ancient city in western Georgia. Serious explorations began in the late 1930s and subsequent excavations revealed a series of graves containing fabulous jewelry, elaborately ornamented garments and beautifully crafted statuary and functional wares.

It's Sunday morning, and David Hrobowski is rearranging the breakfast pastries in a corner of MorYork Gallery in Highland Park. "Even this has to be just so," he says, shifting a banana that serves as the dividing line between slices of pumpkin and zucchini bread. "It's like my popsicle stuff." The "popsicle stuff" in question are frozen dessert sticks, thousands of them, glued together one by one to construct spiraling 3-foot-tall table legs and lampshades finished in the most improbable fringe.

Before the invention of the electric light bulb about a century or so, natural gas and oil lamps had been the standard methods of lighting homes in this country. And before rural households had enough of these lamps to provide adequate light, there were three methods of illumination: candles, long-burning pine knots in the fireplace, and a crude implement known as the grease lamp. As a source of light, grease lamps had their origin in the ancient world; for centuries, they were common in Europe.

The article on bringing back the old-style street lights only covers part of the picture ("Torch-Style Lamps Again Lighting Up Older Areas," Feb. 5). While the old, deteriorated and inefficient street lights of yesterday are being replaced with replica poles manufactured to modern standards, new light sources are now offering big savings in dollars and energy. Original light sources were either gas or incandescent electric lamps. Many of the old incandescent lamps are still out there, wasting money and energy.

Fairmont Newport Beach has adopted seven goats in an attempt to promote fresh local produce and ingredients.  The interesting initiative (stunt?) is in collaboration with Drake Farms Goat Dairy, where the female goats reside. The farm uses the goats' milk to produce organic and sustainable goat cheese . . . . The historic London Bridge , relocated in part to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., and dedicated into service 40 years ago this October, is being updated with energy-saving LED lamps.

Walt Disney famously said, "I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing — that it was all started by a mouse. " For the Pixar artists, it was all started by a lamp. Twenty-five years ago (Aug. 17, 1986), "Luxo, Jr.," a short depicting the misadventures of a rambunctious little desk lamp and his weary father, premiered in Dallas and did something no computer-animated film had done before: It made audiences laugh. The first film from Steve Jobs' newly formed company Pixar and the second from director John Lasseter, "Luxo" launched the most successful and innovative animation studio since Walt Disney's heyday in the 1930s.

It doesn't have the ring of "Remember the Alamo," but a new battle cry has gone up in Texas: "Remember the incandescent bulb. " Texas has become the first state seeking to skirt a federal law that phases out old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs in favor of more efficient lamps — a move that has emerged as a shining example of Republicans' resolve to strike down what many view as excessive federal regulation. Texas hopes to get around the law with a measure recently signed by Republican Gov. Rick Perry declaring that incandescent bulbs — if made and sold only in Texas — do not involve interstate commerce and therefore are not subject to federal regulation.

Here's something you probably won't find in any other grocery store outside the Bristol Farms in Newport Beach: a former major league pitcher manning the seafood counter. And it's no publicity stunt. FOR THE RECORD: Dennis Lamp: In the Jan. 31 Sports section, Jerry Crowe's column about former major league pitcher Dennis Lamp said that in 1979 Lamp gave up Willie McCovey's 513th home run, a record for left-handed batters at the time. The home run extended McCovey's National League record but was not a major league record.

THE BEST WAY TO CLEVELAND From LAX, nonstop service to Cleveland is offered on Continental. Connecting service (change of planes) is offered on United, Southewest, Delta and American. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $458. WHAT TO DO "A Christmas Story" House, 3159 W. 11th St., Cleveland; (216) 298-4919, achristmasstoryhouse.com . Open Thursday through Sunday year-round. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for children ages 7 to 12. The ticket price includes a visit to the museum.

Several Los Angeles police officers are being questioned in connection with an incident in which at least one of them fired a gunshot outside a downtown restaurant, authorities said. No one was hurt in the incident reported about 2 a.m. Wednesday near Weiland Brewery Restaurant in the 400 block of East 1st Street, according to sources familiar with the investigation who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to discuss details of the inquiry. Three off-duty officers were outside the restaurant when one of them pulled a gun and fired at least one shot in the direction of a street lamp, according to the sources.

"Calabasas Wants Stars in Its Skies" (Aug. 26) brings up an important issue dear to all those who enjoy the night sky. There is, however, one important point that was not mentioned. Misdirected lighting wastes an estimated $1 billion worth of energy annually in the U.S. Here in Culver City, I can only count about seven stars from my light-drenched street. The city recently installed so many new street lamps that you almost have to wear sunglasses. The glare from the lamps actually makes it harder to see. Half the light from these lamps goes straight up. What a waste.

Re "Debate Over Vintage Street Lights Heats Up," June 17. I see this as a pure case of finding work and ways to spend more of our hard-earned tax dollars. The street lamps we have are just fine and distinguish the area as residential in character. I have been a resident for over 30 years and experienced no trouble at all driving at night with the level of light that we have now. We should recognize the difference in ambience between residential lighting and commercial lighting.

It's Sunday morning, and David Hrobowski is rearranging the breakfast pastries in a corner of MorYork Gallery in Highland Park. "Even this has to be just so," he says, shifting a banana that serves as the dividing line between slices of pumpkin and zucchini bread. "It's like my popsicle stuff." The "popsicle stuff" in question are frozen dessert sticks, thousands of them, glued together one by one to construct spiraling 3-foot-tall table legs and lampshades finished in the most improbable fringe.

Finding fixtures and lamps for period-influenced interiors can be just as important as choosing the furniture. "The biggest misconception I hear is that ‘I can't afford period lighting,' " Lara Spencer says. "But the truth is you can find really nice vintage fixtures for the same as or not much less than some mass-market reproductions if you just know where to look." She thinks of lighting as the "jewelry" that finishes a room — "a fun way to make a big statement," she says.