One family, The Robinsons, had a 6-year-old son, and when the wife ended up being pregnant with their second child, they decided to move to a bigger house in a remote area where they wanted to build a farm. As they lived in a small apartment which they rented before getting the house, they weren’t allowed to keep a pet at home, but now that they had their own place, they desperately wanted to get a dog.
Wanting to adopt a canine from a shelter, they visited some and as they were hearing all those stories of how each of the animals ended up there, they stumbled upon a shy Pit Bull named Benson.
Sadly, Benson’s life wasn’t an easy one. He was used for fighting for many years and was later dumped on the streets. When volunteers found him, he had already lost faith in humans and was afraid to even lift his head. After some time at the shelter, a family took him in but his happiness lasted for 2 weeks only. The family decided they didn’t want him because he wasn’t friendly.
Hearing this, Mrs. Robinson knew she needed to give him a chance for a better life. They adopted Benson, and although he acted strangely at first, he soon made friends with the family’s son Mathias.
When the baby was born, Benson only showed love and affection.
One night, however, the family heard a loud barking coming from the baby’s room. They rushed to see what was going on when they saw Benson biting the ribs of the crib. At first, they feared the worst as they though he wanted to hurt the little one, but he was doing just the opposite. As it turned out, the baby stopped breathing and Benson was trying to reach to her.
The family rushed her to the hospital where they were told that if Benson didn’t alert them of the baby’s condition, she would surely die. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.
When Mrs. Robinson saved his life by getting him out of the shelter, she never assumed Benson would save her child’s life in return.
The Architectural Ingenuity Of Elevated Storage In Vintage Homes
Consider entering your grandparents’ home, where every room had a story to tell and every corner possessed a relic. Of these, the oil lamp shelves placed on the walls to this day will make you feel the warmth that you used to experience while reading under them. These shelves, which were an important part of the early twentieth-century houses, were not just practical – they were a symbol of a time when the light of an oil lamp would unite family members in the evening.
Usually wooden or metallic, oil lamp shelves were commonly located in various parts of the house to ensure the light’s effectiveness. These shelves were frequently located on walls in the living room, bedrooms, and hallways. They were not randomly placed; they were strategically positioned to ensure that there was enough light for activities done in the evening such as reading, sewing or even family meetings.
The form of these shelves or niches was quite diverse, ranging from flat ledges to more complex constructions complete with guardrails to avoid lamp tip overs. In wealthier homes, these shelves may have been elaborately decorated or even incorporated into the design of the room, complete with carved-out niches and fancy trim that matched the rest of the house.
This was because oil lamps presented a fire risk due to the exposed flame. Shelves for oil lamps were therefore intended to keep the lamps stowed away from the everyday activities in the house while at the same time letting in the light. These were usually located in positions that were not easily accessible to children and not close to curtains or any other combustible material. This tactical positioning ensured that risks of fire breakouts were reduced to the barest minimum while issuing adequate light.
The existence of oil lamp shelves in old houses gives us an insight into the lifestyles and the technological advancements that were available at the time. Lighting was an important part of people’s lives before the use of gas and electric lights and this meant that the management of lighting was an important part of the daily routine and architecture. These shelves were an important part of the interior design and showed how people of that time managed to optimize the use of living spaces.
Today, oil lamp shelves in historic homes are kept for both their functionality and their historical and cultural value. In the modern homes where such shelves have been installed, they are used for storing candles, plant among other items to enhance the beauty of the house. This is because preservation measures always aim at preserving the original construction features and the material used in the construction in this case the design of the period.
Therefore, the shelves for oil lamps in old houses are not only practical furniture pieces, but they are also a symbol of the creativity of the previous generations and a link to the tangible world of the past. Such details give us ideas about the changes that were made by our ancestors and make us reflect on how these architectural landmarks should be preserved.
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