E G Caldwell Lighting

Edward F. Caldwell & Co. was among America’s preeminent lighting manufacturers of the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries, illuminating the halls and ceilings of some of the most notable buildings in the United States. In addition to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and the White House in Washington, D.C., the company’s masterful light fixtures also adorn the homes of some historically prominent figures, such as J.P. Morgan and Phillip Lehman.

The firm was founded in 1895 by American Edward F. Caldwell and Victor F. von Lossberg, a Latvia native who was raised in Russia. The founders became acquainted while working at Archer & Pancoast Manufacturing Company of New York, which produced gas lighting fixtures.

In 1901 Edward F. Caldwell & Co. opened a foundry, where the owners and the lighting artisans they recruited could explore a range of metalworking techniques and design styles. Caldwell and von Lossberg quickly rose to the top of the electric light manufacturing business with their shared vision, choosing to deliver quality elegant fixtures that frequently drew on historic European designs. The firm produced magnificent lighting pieces, as well as finely crafted decorative objects and mirrors. Their neoclassical designs borrowed heavily from Baroque and Rococo styles — Edward F. Caldwell & Co. also devised Art Deco fixtures during the 1920s — and favored bronze, silver, iron, copper and brass as their primary materials.

With construction on the rise in New York in the early 1900s, not many outfits could take on large-scale lighting contracts. With over 1,000 employees, Edward F. Caldwell & Co. could take on heavy commissions.

After Caldwell died in 1914, von Lossberg carried the company until he died in 1942. Edward F. Caldwell & Co. closed its doors owing to financial troubles in 1959.

Today manufacturer’s work can be seen all across New York City — including at the Bank of Manhattan and the famous Waldorf Astoria hotel — and Edward F. Caldwell & Co. creations are highly sought after by lighting and decor enthusiasts.

On 1stDibs, explore a selection of vintage Edward F. Caldwell & Co. table lamps, chandeliers and pendants, sconces and floor lamps.

The right table lamp, outwardly sculptural chandelier or understated wall pendant can work wonders for your home. While we’re indebted to thinkers like Thomas Edison for critically important advancements in lighting and electricity, we’re still finding new ways to customize illumination to fit our personal spaces all these years later. A wide range of antique and vintage lighting can be found on 1stDibs.

Today, lighting designers like the self-taught Bec Brittain have used the flexible structure of LEDs to craft glamorous solutions by working with what is typically considered a harsh lighting source. By integrating glass and mirrors, reflection can be used to soften the glow from LEDs and warmly welcome light into any space.

Although contemporary innovators continue to impress, some of the classics can’t be beat. 

Just as gazing at the stars allows you to glimpse the universe’s past, vintage chandeliers like those designed by Gino Sarfatti and J. & L. Lobmeyr, for example, put on a similarly stunning show, each with a rich story to tell.

As dazzling as it is, the Arco lamp, on the other hand, prioritizes functionality — it’s wholly mobile, no drilling required. Designed in 1962 by architect-product designers Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, the piece takes the traditional form of a streetlamp and creates an elegant, arching floor fixture for at-home use.

There is no shortage of modernist lighting similarly prized by collectors and casual enthusiasts alike — there are Art Deco table lamps created in a universally appreciated style, the Tripod floor lamp by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Greta Magnusson Grossman's sleek and minimalist Grasshopper lamps and, of course, the wealth of mid-century experimental lighting that emerged from Italian artisans at Arredoluce, FLOS and many more are hallmarks in illumination innovation. 

With decades of design evolution behind it, home lighting is no longer just practical. Crystalline shaping by designers like Gabriel Scott turns every lighting apparatus into a luxury accessory. A new installation doesn’t merely showcase a space; carefully chosen ceiling lights, table lamps and floor lamps can create a mood, spotlight a favorite piece or highlight your unique personality.

The sparkle that your space has been missing is waiting for you amid the growing collection of antique, vintage and contemporary lighting for sale on 1stDibs.