I'm writing a piece of gothic horror, and the lights on a chandelier would dim and die out when the monster is nearby.
If I wanted to be accurate, what kind of indoor lighting technology was in use in the house of a wealthy man living in San Francisco in 1890, especially in a room where he might be entertaining guests? What about in commercial places like shops or small businesses?
As I understand it, arc lights were too intense for indoor use, and electric bulbs still burn out too quick to be practical. Would they be more likely to be using gas or kerosene/paraffin for chandeliers (and other permanent light fixtures), or would candles still be the preferred lighting method? Were candles still used in addition to the chandelier if it was turned on? If so, how were the candles positioned in the room? Would they be placed all over the room, or would they be limited to where one would be, say, gathering and talking or reading?
Hi there - we're happy to approve your question related to your creative project, and we are happy for people to answer. However, we should warn you that many flairs have become reluctant to answer questions for aspiring novelists and the like, based on past experience: some people working on creative projects have a tendency to try to pump historians for trivia while ignoring the bigger points they were making, while others have a tendency to argue with historians when the historical reality does not line up with what's needed for a particular scene or characterization. Please respect the answers of people who have generously given you their time, even if it's not always what you want to hear.
Additionally, as amazing as our flair panel is, we should also point out that /r/AskHistorians is not a professional historical consultation service. If you're asking a question here because you need vital research for a future commercial product such as a historical novel, you may be better off engaging a historical consultant at a fair hourly rate to answer these questions for you. We don't know what the going rate for consultancy work would be in your locality, but it may be worth looking into that if you have in-depth or highly plot-reliant questions for this project. Some /r/AskHistorians flairs could be receptive to working as a consultant in this way. However, if you wish for a flair here to do this work for you, you will need to organize this with them yourselves.