Gerald Thurston Furniture
American
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
Stained Oak Tripod Table Lamp with Diffuser and Shade by Gerald Thurston
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Atomic-style table lamp designed by Gerald Thurston, circa 1950s. Sculptural tripod base in stained oak with brass stem and original milk glass diffuser. The vintage linen shade show...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Triple Gourd-Form Table Lamp
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Chicago, IL
Stunning Lightolier table lamp in white satin glazed ceramic stacked spherical bodies. Each segment separated by a brass ring spacer. Base is a brass plate. The three socket lighting...
Category
1950s American Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass, Metal
Tall Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Radiating Brass & Walnut Table Lamp
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Gerald Thurston for Lightolier 3' H flared and incised brass and walnut table lamp, circa 1960. Featuring a radiating vertically lined antique bronzed finish top and partial stem wit...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass, Metal
Vintage Gerald Thurston Porcelain Table Lamps for Lightolier
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Chicago, IL
Gerald Thurston porcelain table lamps for Lightolier.
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of Ceramic Lamps by Thurston
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in New York, NY
Very stylish and sophisticated pair of ceramic lamps, designed by Gerald Thurston, for Lightolier. The ceramic body has an Aztec influence motif, each mounted on a solid wood plinth ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Gerald Thurston Furniture
Ceramic and Brass Hourglass Table Lamp by Gerald Thurston
By Gerald Thurston
Located in New York, NY
Classic midcentury table lamp, designed by Gerald Thurston. The lamp has a ceramic and brass body of wasted or hourglass, form elements, it is in very fine original, and working cond...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Thomas Moser floor lamp by Lightolier
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Highland, IN
This great floor lamp is architectural with a restrained playfulness, it employs innovative materials (perforated steel) and reflected light for a nice mix of direct and indirect ill...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass, Steel
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 Pristine Vintage Lumilon Table Lamps by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of pristine vintage Lumilon table lamps by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier. Original one-piece shade-diffusers. UL listed.
Category
1960s American Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Metal
Gerald Thurston Pottery Table Lamp
By Gerald Thurston
Located in New York, NY
1960s Mid-Century Modern pottery table lamp designed by Gerald Thurston.
Shades for photography only.
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Pottery
Pair of Tall Decorative Ceramic and Brass Table Lamps by Gerald Thurston
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Elegant, sculptural table lamps by Gerald Thurston -- cream and light taupe ceramic form with patinated brass base and accents. Each lamp features a triple socket, serving as an ampl...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Gerald Thurston, Lightolier Style Walnut, Brass & Glass Side Table Floor Lamp
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Gerald Thurston for Lightolier attributed Walnut and Brass Combination Side Table Floor Lamp, 1950s. Small footprint. Featuring a tubular Brass hourglass frame, doweled Walnut centre...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Gerald Thurston for Lightolier "Studio Porcelains" Dark Gray Table Lamp, 1950's
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Substantial Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Charcoal Gray "Studio Porcelains" Pleated Table Lamp. Featuring a large fluted Gun Metal Porcelain body, Brass stem, original White enameled triple sockets on beveled Brass base. Original pleated tapered...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Gerald Thurston Porcelain Lamps
By Gerald Thurston
Located in New York, NY
Mid-Century Classic ivory glazed porcelain lamps with speckled horizontal stripes resting on matte finished bases with an aged brass band. Lamps have been rewired for use in the USA ...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Substantial Pair of Gerald Thurston "Floriform" Eggshell Ceramic Lamps, 1950's
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Monumental Pair of Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Neutral Ceramic Table Lamps. Featuring an abstract hourglass shape, in natural, Cream, S...
Category
1950s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass, Metal
Desk / Table Lamp by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier. Complete and Original.
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Kansas City, MO
Gerald Thurston for Lightolier desk / table lamp. All original enameled aluminum shade and base with original diffuser and brass stem. The diffuser is complete and in great conditio...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
Pair of Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Etched Glass and Brass Sconces
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of brass double hurricane sconces by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier. Each solid brass sconce has a double hurricane shade, with the inner ...
Category
1950s American Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Two Gerald Thurston Table Lamps for Lightolier, 1960s
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Den Haag, NL
Two beautiful table lamps. Designed by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier USA, 1960s. Grey ceramic lamp bases with a metallic finish on oak feet. Triple armatures which can be switched on and off individually using the draw cord...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Thurston for Lightolier Table Lamp
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in New York, NY
Classic Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Mid-Century Modern table lamp. Brass colored metal with faux wood insert trim, on teardrop form base. Wo...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Metal
Gaetano Sciolari "Cage" Pendant Lamp by Lightolier
By Gerald Thurston, Lightolier
Located in Highland, IN
A wonderful example of Sciolari's playful experiments in lighting design, the wire cage lamp came in a taller oval form and this round coiled shape that i...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel, Chrome
Impeccable Extendable Arm Lumilux Study Lamp by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impeccable extendable arm Lumilux study lamp by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier. Brushed brass base with original one-piece molded shade-diffuser in excellen...
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Steel and Glass Dome Chandelier
By Gerald Thurston
Located in New York, NY
Original 1950s Gerald Thurston for Lightolier steel and glass chandelier chandelier. Milk glass dome shade suspends from circular steel central f...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Gerald Thurston White Candlestick Lamp with Black & White Stripe Metal Shade
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Gerald Thurston for Lightolier White Table Lamp with Striped Shade, 1950's. Featuring a White stem, three Brass arms, triple White enameled candlestick sockets, stenciled Black and ...
Category
1950s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass, Metal
Large Gerald Thurston For Lightolier Table Lamp
By Gerald Thurston
Located in New York, NY
1950's Gerald Thurston for Lightolier ceramic and brass large table lamp.
Shade for photography only.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Pair of Sculptural Lamps by Gerald Thurston
By Gerald Thurston
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Sculptural table lamps in white matte porcelain by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier.
The lamps each have three light sources and they have been newly rewired.
There is a slight...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Rare Gerald Thurston Lightolier extensible and adjustable wall lamp
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Montréal, QC
Rare Gerard Thurston extensible and adjustable wall lamp in walnut and brass with original raffia grass shade. The lamp can be extended by pulling out the brass arm and the angle can...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
Pair of Tall Cream Lamps by Gerald Thurston
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Westport, CT
Pair of tall cream lamps by Gerald Thurston.
Measures: full lamp: 38" tall.
lamp shade: 15" tall x 18" wide.
lamp base: 21" tall x 7.5" wide.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Substantial Gerald Thurston Lightolier Porcelain "Fin" Table Lamp, 1950s
By Lightolier, Gerald Thurston
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Classic three foot high Gerald Thurston for Lightolier Two-Tone Parabolic Fin Porcelain Table Lamp. Featuring concave forms in dark chocolate and taupe with brass base and feet. Trip...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Brass
Gerald Thurston for Lightolier White "Boomerang" Desk Lamp, 1950s
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Bainbridge, NY
American Mid-Century Modern Gerald Thurston Articulating Boomerang Desk Lamps. Featuring a Teak handle, patinated Brass stem, adjustable and perfor...
Category
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerald Thurston Furniture
Materials
Metal, Brass
Gerald Thurston furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Gerald Thurston furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Gerald Thurston furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Gerald Thurston were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Robert Sonneman, Stiffel, and Chapman Manufacturing Company. Prices for Gerald Thurston furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $395 and can go as high as $7,800, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,200.