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.
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
1950s Gerald Thurston Perforated Cone Pendant , USA
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Classic pendant from the 50s by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier . Brass plated shade with perforated enameled steel cone . Bakelite knob under . Contain one E26 size socket rat...
Metal, Aluminum
Wall Light Sconce Gerald Thurston Lightolier
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in New York, NY
Large wall light sconce Gerald Thurston for Lightolier. Handcrafted glass with white and gold colored glass overlay creating a bursting display...
Brass
Midcentury Modern Brass & Teakwood Pendant Light Flush Mount by Gerald Thurston
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in Lisse, NL
Mid-Century Modern Brass & Teak Pendant Light by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier, 1950s. A stunning example of mid-century American design, this rare pendant light was designed by Ge...
Brass, Aluminum
Lightolier Pendant Gerald Thurston
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in New York, NY
Gerald Thurston for Lightolier brass and glass pendant light. Brass and steel mesh cone supporting a domed textured glass shade with overlaid faux gilding to the underside. Lightolie...
Brass
$3,300
H 12.5 in W 11 in D 12.75 in
Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Taupe "Cricket" Desk Lamp, Circa 1955
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Original Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Dark Camel "Cricket" Table Lamp, Wall Lamp. Featuring the adjustable perforated dome Bakelite Shade in a natural, earthen coloration (Pantone ...
Brass, Steel
$2,935
H 20.08 in W 14.57 in D 16.15 in
Elegant Table Lamp or Desk Light by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier USA 1950s
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in München, BY
Elegant Mid-Century Modern table lamp or desk light. Designed by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier, USA, 1950s. Executed in brass, aluminium, lucite and metal, the table lamp comes wit...
Metal, Aluminum, Brass
$1,966
H 9.5 in W 12 in D 12 in
Mid-Century Modern Gilt Brass Eight-Light Flush Mount by Sölken Leuchten, 1960s
By Sölken Leuchten
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Mid-Century Modern gilt brass eight-light flush mount by Sölken Leuchten, Germany, 1960-1969. This elegant ceiling lamp is in very good condition, it has been hand polished and rewir...
Brass
Italian Murano Glass and Brass Flush Mount, Wall Light
Located in Antwerp, BE
Italian Murano glass and brass flushmount light. Measures: Diameter 50 cm. Height 23 cm.
Brass
Large Flush Mount Light
Located in Antwerp, BE
Rare large flush mount light. Measures: Diameter 56 cm. Height 28 cm. Four E27 bulbs.
Chrome
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
H 23 in W 20 in D 20 in
1950s Gerald Thurston 3 Heads Uplighter Pendant for Lightolier , USA
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
1950s Gerald Thurston Brass plated uplighter with 3 pierced shade for Lightolier . Top concave relector have a nice patina on it . Contain 3 E26 sockets rated at 60 watt each .
Metal, Brass
$1,450
H 24.13 in Dm 17 in
Gerald Thurston Walnut and Brass Tripod Table Lamp for Lightolier, USA, 1950s
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Hamburg, PA
Illuminate your space with this iconic mid-century modern tripod table lamp designed by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier in the United States during the 1950s. Featuring a sculptural b...
Brass
$4,800
H 17 in W 19 in D 19 in
Gerald Thurston Mid-Century Modern 1950s Tripod Table Lamp in Walnut & Brass
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A very nice early example of this lamp in brass, walnut & off white enameled shades. Very hard to find lamp. Fully working in very good condition.
Brass, Steel
Gerald Thurston Orange Saucer Floor Lamp for Lightolier
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in New York, NY
Gerald Thurston Orange Saucer Floor Lamp for Lightolier. Overall great vintage condition with age appropriate wear. This item is in our NYC private showroom and can be viewed by a...
Metal, Brass
$1,275Sale Price|20% Off
H 29.25 in Dm 18.5 in
Gerald Thurston Tripod Table Lamp for Lightolier, Brass & Walnut
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in Littleton, CO
Elegant and sculptural, this rare tripod table lamp by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier embodies the refined sophistication of the best 1950s–60s American modern design. Its patinated ...
Brass
$1,000
H 26.25 in W 23 in D 23 in
Midcentury Tri Pod Table Lamp by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier C 1950s
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in New York, NY
Classic midcentury table lamp designed by Gerald Thurston, made by Lightolier, circa 1950s. The lamp has a three leg, tripod form base of black rods, which support interior diffusers...
Metal
MCM Accent Desk Lamp by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A mid century desk lamp by Lightolier designed by Gerald Thurston. The flying saucer model features a brass body and an articulated arm that allows for added height and directional...
Metal, Brass
1950s Gerald Thurston Enameled Shade Flushmount , Lightolier , USA
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Enameled aluminium shade pierced with a star pattern . Each shade measure 9.5 in wide by 2 in high . Glass diffuser under . 3 Bakelite socket rated at 40 watt each Brass struct...
Aluminum, Brass
1950s Gerald Thurston Perforated Cone Flushmount, USA
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Copper-plated aluminum shade and hardware with perforated enameled steel cone. Measure: 17 inches wide by 12.5 inches high from canopy to bottom of lamp. E26 size socket rated ...
Metal, Aluminum
1950s Pair of Gerald Thurston Pendant for Lightolier, USA
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Brass-plated 3 heads pierced pendant with glass diffuser. Each shade measure 6.38 in. diam. by 2.5 in. high. Solid well made construction. Contain 3 E26 size socket rated at 40 ...
Aluminum, Brass
Lightolier Sunburst Flushmount Ceiling or Wall Light
By Carl Moser 1, Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Hanover, MA
From Lightolier's Claremont Collection circa 1953 (see image 20) we present this show stopping domed shaped ceiling fixture with 13 curved brass sputnik arms and cones for candelabra...
Brass
1950s Gerald Thurston Enameled Pierced Shade Flushmount, USA
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Enameled aluminium pierced shade flush mount with brass arm and thick glass lens diffuser. Solid well made construction. E26 size socket rated at...
Brass, Aluminum
Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Brass, Glass and Crystal Chandelier
By Gerald Thurston, Paavo Tynell, Lightolier
Located in Houston, TX
Stunning iconic perforated brass and glass chandelier by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier. This fabulous brass chandelier has a gilt decorated coupe with crystal Sputnik spheres terminating off the top. This modernist Thurston for Lightolier fixture...
Crystal, Brass
Midcentury Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Ceiling Cone Fixtures, Pair
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in North Miami, FL
Gerald Thurston design for Lightolier. Each anodized aluminium shade cone has its' original concentric ring and glass diffuser, in clean original working condition. One base shows a ...
Aluminum
Midcentury Gerald Thurston for Lightolier 1950s Light Fixture Chandelier
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in West Hartford, CT
Very unusual Mid-Century Modern chandelier manufactured by Lightolier and designed by Gerald Thurston. Manufacturer hallmark are inside cap and the chandelier is wired for USA. I hol...
Metal, Brass
1950s Gerald Thurston Pierced Flush Mount, USA
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Enameled beige pierced flush mount with brass plated hardware and canopy. Shade measure 8.5 inches wide. Contain one E26 size socket rated at 60 watt max.
Aluminum, Brass
Flush Mount Ceiling Light by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Flush mount ceiling light designed by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier in USA, circa 1950s. Retains original salmon paint color and original label. Brass hardware with perforated paint...
Metal, Brass
Gerald Thurston Ceiling Light Fixture for Lightolier
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Gorgeous Mid-Century Modern flush mount ceiling light by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier.
Brass
Sold
H 14 in W 14 in D 14 in
Gerald Thurston Pierced Aluminium Shade and Brass Flush Mount , 1960s, USA
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
This flush mount is quite unique as they were usually produced in brass-plated version. This one, the gently pierced shade and the canopy are polished aluminium, giving them the appe...
Aluminum, Brass