Combination Lamp Review

Back in college, I inherited a combination lamp from my older brother who took some engineering classes at the local community college. I was just starting art school, and had attached the combination lamp to my art desk and loved it.

The lamp had an incandescent bulb in the center, which gave off a warm yellow light. The second bulb was a ring-shaped fluorescent bulb, which gave off a nasty blue light at close range.

Using either bulb by itself was impossible. But when both bulbs were turned on, it was the surest recreation of natural sunlight I had ever seen, especially in the context of working on fine artwork up close. I loved it!

I finished art school and moved on. I wasn't doing much drawing one period of my life, and sold off some items, including the combination lamp, that I thought I didn't need. Big mistake!

Years later, as I eased back into producing art, I realized I needed a new lamp, and knew exactly what kind of lamp and light I wanted. I looked high and low but could not find a lamp like I remembered on the market. I eventually settled for a "natural light" bulb goose neck lamp using some special filters and a unique shape. It was a beautiful lamp, but it was not close at all, no matter how much the marketing said "natural", to the lighting I remembered.

I keep searching and one day stumbled on the lamp I had been looking for! I had been looking for "dual source" and "multiple light bulb" lamps, but the key terms was "combination lamp". It turns out, I could only find one company making them. I eventually found a few places I could buy it from, and decided that Utrecht art supplies (utrecht.com) was the place to get it.

Combination Lamp (2 bulbs)

I ordered it, and when it arrived, set it up immediately. I dug out some old artwork that I had last worked on under the same kind of lamp, flicked on the lamp, and was immediately transported nearly 20 years into the past. It was as if I was still working on the same drawing after all that time. Yes, I do have unfinished artwork from 20 years ago.

Anyway, I have a new lamp and am back in the saddle, ready to create new art with the best indoor lighting I've yet seen.

So if you want to cut to the chase, go look at the lamp, Model CL1755 at Utrecht, and order it! You won't be disappointed!

Here is the description from the site, for quick reference:

"Lite Source Combination Lamp - Black
Combination incandescent and fluorescent lamp. Indispensable for color correction. Comes with a 100W Incandescent A Type Bulb and a 22W Fluorescent T9 Type Bulb with a 3-Way Switch
Color: Black"