Monumental Chandelier by Lightolier with Nine Opaline Glass Shades

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Monumental Chandelier by Lightolier with Nine Opaline Glass Shades

About the Item

Presented here is a flush mounted chandelier signed by Lightolier and likely produced for them by Glashütte Limburg (who produced models for Lightolier) utilizing the flush pan style mounts and in particular glass production common to their designs. Measuring 33" in diameter and 8.5"deep, this model will be found nowhere else. Each of the nine pendant style opaline glass canister shades can accept any wattage up to 200 watt bulbs each, resulting in the ability to illuminate a very large area. Because of the use solid opaline glass, the light is diffused in all directions rather than only down providing even illumination all rounds with the subject area below receiving the majority of the light. The position of the shades causes a tapering illumination that blends the plate into the ceiling rather than casting a clearly defined circle. With the use of 10-25watt bulbs a soft mood is created, but is ideally installed with a dimmer control in conjunction with the chandelier. The use of LED bulbs is highly recommended should you wish to accomplish a Lumen output equivalent of 1800 watts of incandescent light. Ideal for large commercial spaces, lounge, living, stairwell or dining area depending on bulbs used. mounting is performed via a 23.5" wide ceiling plate that utilizes the same footprint as a regular chandelier mounting plate for wiring at the center. The white plate mounts to ceiling fixture thereafter, dated to between 1955-1965. Hardware and all mounting hardware is 100% complete with all components in excellent condition. Despite the simplicity of the design, there are many components hidden. A modernist lamp with a minimalist appeal and very unique. Will be sent vis Fedex.

Creator:
Lightolier (Manufacturer)
Attributed to:
Glashütte Limburg (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)Width: 33 in (83.82 cm)Depth: 33 in (83.82 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Opaline Glass,Steel
Place of Origin:
Germany
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1955
Condition:
Seller Location:
South Charleston, WV
Reference Number:
Seller: lightolier limburg1stDibs: LU161625552013

Shop All Lightolier

Lightolier

Founded in 1904 in New York and family-operated through most of its history, Lightolier was one of the pioneering American electric lighting companies, best known for its embrace of stylistic and technical innovations.

Collectors focus on vintage Lightolier lighting fixtures produced from the 1950s and into the 1970s, when an in-house design team led by Gerald Thurston — and a stellar cast of international design contributors — created an array of practical yet aesthetically lively table lamps, floor lamps, sconces and chandeliers.

Amidst the post-World War II building boom, Lightolier — the name combines “light” and “chandelier” — aggressively boosted its residential lighting division. Thurston, who was strongly influenced by the sleek designs of Gino Sarfatti and his Italian lighting firm Arteluce, towards simpler lamp designs that offered flexibility of function. His best-known designs include the Cricket task light — a lamp with an adjustable enameled metal hood that toggles on a slender bent-metal base — and the three-legged Tripod floor lamp. At the same time, Thurston had a wonderful eye for talent and sought work from some of the lesser-known greats of the era, such as Paavo Tynell, the Finnish lighting designer, who designed several brass chandeliers for Lightolier with his trademark elegant flamboyance.

And more, Thurston recognized abilities in designers not known for their work in lighting.

Edward Wormley, head of furniture design for Dunbar, produced several noteworthy chandeliers employing canisters and reflective hoods. Alvin Lustig was famed as a graphic designer. His ca. 1953 Ring ceiling fixture for Lightolier had a minimalist techno look some 30 years ahead of its time. But this was par. Designed by Michael Lax in 1964, the Lytegem high-intensity lamp — included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art — features a ball-shaped shade attached with a chromed armature to a cubic base, a form that would be widely copied in the following decade. Chandeliers designed in the early 1970s by Gaetano Sciolari, with details such as acrylic diffusers and vertical, two-bulb arms, would define the look of lighting in their day.

A look through these pages reveals just how astonishingly wide a range of lighting pieces Lightolier produced. The company never flicked off its stylistic switch.

Find a collection of vintage Lightolier lamps and other lighting fixtures on 1stDibs.