The Lambent Flame
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
A glittering chandelier graces the cover of The Lambent Flame, a meticulously researched volume by John D. Keating that chronicles the rich and often overlooked history of decorative lighting in Australia. Set against the backdrop of colonial and post-colonial Australian society, the work traces the evolution of artificial illumination — from the flickering oil lamp to the ornate gas and electric chandeliers that came to define the grandeur of public and domestic interiors. Keating presents a compelling narrative that interweaves social history, material culture, and the aesthetics of interior design, illustrating how the humble act of lighting a room became an expression of wealth, taste, and technological progress. Published by Melbourne University Press in 1974, this work stands as a significant contribution to Australian cultural and decorative arts history, drawing on primary sources and archival imagery to reconstruct a world lit by craft and ingenuity. Keating's prose is precise yet evocative, guiding the reader through auction houses, grand ballrooms, and domestic parlours with the eye of a connoisseur. For collectors, historians, and anyone captivated by the material culture of Australia's past, The Lambent Flame poses a quietly irresistible question: what does the light we choose to cast reveal about who we truly are?
Author: John D. Keating
Format: Hardback
Published: 1974, Melbourne University Press
Genre: Australian history
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
A glittering chandelier graces the cover of The Lambent Flame, a meticulously researched volume by John D. Keating that chronicles the rich and often overlooked history of decorative lighting in Australia. Set against the backdrop of colonial and post-colonial Australian society, the work traces the evolution of artificial illumination — from the flickering oil lamp to the ornate gas and electric chandeliers that came to define the grandeur of public and domestic interiors. Keating presents a compelling narrative that interweaves social history, material culture, and the aesthetics of interior design, illustrating how the humble act of lighting a room became an expression of wealth, taste, and technological progress. Published by Melbourne University Press in 1974, this work stands as a significant contribution to Australian cultural and decorative arts history, drawing on primary sources and archival imagery to reconstruct a world lit by craft and ingenuity. Keating's prose is precise yet evocative, guiding the reader through auction houses, grand ballrooms, and domestic parlours with the eye of a connoisseur. For collectors, historians, and anyone captivated by the material culture of Australia's past, The Lambent Flame poses a quietly irresistible question: what does the light we choose to cast reveal about who we truly are?