Today I find this picture with a pair just like mine:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/201...25WYGSS.html#3

But they are oriented 90 degrees differently than what I had planned.
Now historically there must have been an orientation that was used.
Which way was it?

While you may be thinking of better light distribution having them run
with the hall, the fixtures are better viewed as shown. I doubt it
will make much of a difference in the brightness of the hallway.