Question 1
Where is the light source held?
Table, floor, wall and ceiling placement changes the relationship between source, task, viewer and room. Placement is more reliable than style as a first sorting dimension.
01 / orientation
Orientation
Learn the scope, evidence language and four questions that keep a lamp investigation grounded.
Question 2
How is light controlled?
Shade, reflector, diffuser, chimney, globe and source position can redirect, soften, shield or reveal the light source. Different eras solve this with very different constructions.
Question 3
What moves?
Fixed stems, pivots, goosenecks, articulated arms and spring-balanced mechanisms create distinct use patterns. Movement is anatomy, not decoration.
Question 4
What evidence do you actually have?
Material appearance, silhouette and resemblance can generate questions; they do not establish maker, date, originality, value or electrical safety.
Vocabulary boundary: “lamp” is used here as a practical umbrella for designed light-giving objects. Historical and collection vocabularies differ, so the atlas is an editorial navigation aid rather than a universal museum taxonomy.
ICU / connected discovery
Continue through related ideas.
Editorial connections are bounded and never paid placements.
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