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Gerald Thurston Furniture

As the leading designer at Lightolier during the postwar building and design boom, Gerald Thurston created his clever lighting — sleek floor lamps, table lamps and desk lamps — to suit the American lifestyles of 1950s and 1960s. His designs were at the forefront of the mid-century modern lighting revolution — like much of the visionary work being done at the time in furniture and interiors, Thurston’s fixtures are both elegant and totally innovative, reflecting the exploration of new ideas and new technology that consumed designers of the era.

Thurston eventually led a stellar team of international lighting designers at Lightolier. He was important to the pioneering East Coast–based electric lighting company, and rumor has it that because he sketched every design on craft paper, the manufacturer insured his right hand for one million American dollars.

While enrolled in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago during the 1930s, where he earned his degree in industrial design, Thurston worked as a freelance designer for the Zenith Radio Corporation. Once he graduated, he found a position at the New Metal Craft Company. There he designed custom lighting fixtures and decorative objects for architects and interior designers.

Lightolier enticed Thurston to join them in approximately 1950. That same year, New York’s Museum of Modern Art featured a green floor lamp of his in their Good Design Exhibition of 1950. The sculptural lamps that Thurston created for Lightolier are representative of his interest in Scandinavian modernist lighting as well as the revolutionary designs produced by postwar Italian companies such as Arredoluce and Arteluce. (Lightolier partnered with the latter, and Thurston found inspiration in the work of Arteluce founder Gino Sarfatti.)

During Thurston’s decades-long tenure with Lightolier, he became internationally known for his many designs. His modernist fixtures are characterized by clean lines, vibrant colors and an appealing meld of metals and rich woods. His slender-legged Lightolier Tripod floor lamp, introduced in the 1960s, garnered widespread acclaim, while his whimsical Cricket lamp, with its arthropodan shade and slim brass frame, is wholly versatile — it can be hung as a sconce or positioned on a desk and offers direct or diffused light.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Gerald Thurston lighting, decorative objects and more.

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Creator: Gerald Thurston
Dealer: Lewis Trimble
Pair of Chocolate Honeycomb Lamps by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier, 1950s
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
Stunning pair of Gerald Thurston for Lightolier table lamps, circa 1950. These lamps are all original including original shades.
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture

Materials

Brass

Pair of Gerald Thurston Fin Lamps for Lightolier
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A pair of parabolic fin table lamps by Gerard Thurston. Stoneware body is made up of four fin like shapes that have alternating concave Navy and light turquoise glaze. Porcelain sits...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture

Materials

Brass

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1950s Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Brass Desk Lamp
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Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Adjustable Brass Desk Lamp, 1960s
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American Mid-Century Modern Gerald Thurston for lightolier brass desk lamp. Featuring a slender, sturdy Brass plated tubular stem, round balanced, weighted 6D base, turn switch to base, adjusting Black enameled interior Brass shade head (8.25 W x 3W) extending to 10W with Cast Iron handle...
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Mid-Century Modern 1950s Gray Ceramic Lamp by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier
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Gerald Thurston "Fin" Porcelain Table Lamps by Lightolier
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Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Adjustable Taupe Desk Lamp, 1950's
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Rare Gerald Thurston Table Lamp for Lightolier
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Rare Gerald Thurston table lamp for Lightolier. Polished brass stems on walnut base. Original grass cloth shade, lacquered...
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Gerald Thurston for Lightolier 'Studio Porcelains' Ceramic Lamp c. 1950
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a beautiful glazed ceramic table lamp designed by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier c. 1950. One of his most iconic designs, from the 'Studio Porcelains' collection, this large pleated ...
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Gerald Thurston for Lightolier "Cricket" Lamp
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An iconic design by Gerald Thurston for lightolier, the "cricket" lamp has three light brightness settings and is in working order. T...
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1950s American Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture

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1950s Gerald Thurston Tripod Table Lamp Pair Space Age Modern Lightolier
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1950s Gerald Thurston Tripod Table Lamps for Lightolier Space Age Atomic Midcentury Modern Unmarked 26.5 tall x 23.5 diameter Preo...
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1950s Elegant Brass Table Lamp Marble Base Gerald Thurston Lightolier
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1950s Elegant Table Lamp designed by Gerald Thurston and produced by Lightolier Lamp is supported by a colorful, faceted marble base. Three-way light socket. 27 tall to finial x 7.5 ...
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1950s Gerald Thurston Table Lamp, Lightolier, USA
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Elegant table lamp made of walnut, brass with plastic shade. By Gerald Thurston for Lightolier. Marked.
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Previously Available Items
Pair of Fluted Lamps by Gerald Thurston
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
Rare pair of fluted stoneware lamps by Gerald Thurston. Wonderful shape and texture on these lamps which play with the light and shadows. Shade is not included but measurements can...
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Gerald Thurston furniture for sale on 1stDibs

Gerald Thurston furniture is available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive objects are frequently made of metal and designed with extraordinary care. There are many choices to choose from in our Gerald Thurston collection of furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. There are currently 127 vintage editions of these items in stock, while there is also 0 modern edition to choose from. Many of the original furniture by Gerald Thurston was created in North America during the 20th century in the Mid-Century Modern style. Many customers also consider furniture by Robert Sonneman, Gordon & Jane Martz and Koch & Lowy if you are looking for additional options. Prices for Gerald Thurston furniture can vary depending on size, time period and other attributes. Price for these items starts at $475 and tops out at $25,200, while pieces like these can sell for $2,200 on average.

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