Pair of Brass and Grasscloth Shaded Table Lamps by Gerald Thurston
View Similar Items
Pair of Brass and Grasscloth Shaded Table Lamps by Gerald Thurston
About the Item
- Creator:Gerald Thurston (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31 in (78.74 cm)Diameter: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950's
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent condition. The bases have been refinished in an ultra-deep brown lacquer and the brass fittings have been hand polished and lacquered. Rewired and ready to use.
- Seller Location:Atlanta, GA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU87183226142
Gerald Thurston
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.
- Gerald Thurston Parabolic Fin Sculptural Ceramic Lamps by LightolierBy Gerald Thurston, LightolierLocated in Atlanta, GASculptural Pair of "Parabolic Fin" Model Ceramic Lamps, designed by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier, American, circa 1950s. They have been rewired and are ready to use. One lamp has a...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of Nickel Plated Greek Key Design Table LampsBy Tommi ParzingerLocated in Atlanta, GAIncredible Pair of Nickel Plated Greek Key Design Lamps, American, circa 1940s. These pieces show excellent attention to detail with fine casting and original custom finials. They ha...Category
Vintage 1940s American Hollywood Regency Table Lamps
MaterialsNickel, Metal
- Stiffel Nickel and White Ceramic Table LampsBy Tommi ParzingerLocated in Atlanta, GAPair of white ceramic lamps with Nickel Fittings, designed for the Stiffel Company, circa 1960s. They have been completely restored with newly nickel plated fittings. They are rewire...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Nickel
$2,400 / set - Pair of Elegant Nickel Plated LampsLocated in Atlanta, GAPair of Elegant Nickel Plated Lamps, American, circa 1940s. They have been rewired and are ready to use.Category
Vintage 1940s American Hollywood Regency Table Lamps
MaterialsNickel
$850 Sale Price / set46% Off - Pair of 1930s Silver Leaf Obelisk LampsLocated in Atlanta, GAPair of silver leaf Obelisk lamps, American, circa 1930s. They exhibit wonderful patina and wear to the silver leafing, beautifully exposing some of the Chinese Red color underlayer ...Category
Vintage 1930s American Hollywood Regency Table Lamps
MaterialsGlass, Wood
$1,800 / set - Rare Lucite and Chrome Column Lamp by T.H. Robsjohn GibbingsBy Hansen, T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Atlanta, GARare Lucite and Chrome Column Lamp, designed by T.H. Robsjohn Gibbings for Hansen, circa 1960's. It is signed with the Hansen impressed mark on the diffuser. Price noted below includ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
$1,800 Sale Price30% Off
- Walnut and Chrome Table Lamp by Gerald ThurstonBy Gerald Thurston, LightolierLocated in Denton, TXWalnut and chrome table lamp by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Gerald Thurston Orange Table Lamp by LightolierBy Gerald ThurstonLocated in Redding, CTGerald Thurston orange table lamp by Lightolier. In amazing vintage condition. Gorgeous statement piece for your desk. Very rare, one of a kind. Lamp base is 6 inches in diameterCategory
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
$1,012 Sale Price57% Off - Gerald Thurston Mid Century White Aluminum and Brass Table LampBy Gerald ThurstonLocated in Countryside, ILGerald Thurston Mid Century White Aluminum and Brass Table Lamp Original Plastic Shade and Dimmer This piece measures: 11 wide x 11 deep x 22 inches high and weighs 3.6 pounds Ex...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsAluminum, Brass
- Gerald Thurston Style Sculpted Table Lamp with Brass BaseBy Gerald ThurstonLocated in Van Nuys, CAThis Mid-century Thurston style table lamp has a modern elegance. The white painted sculptural wood center, bright brass accents, and atomic age fiberglass shade all meet to a black ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Gerald Thurston Mid-Century Modern Wishbone Lamp with Original ShadeBy Gerald Thurston, LightolierLocated in Chattanooga, TNRare opportunity to buy a Gerald Thurston wishbone lamp with the original period shade. The Thurston Wishbone lamp has become an iconic lamp of the Mid-Century Modern movement. The A...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Gerald Thurston for Stiffel Mid Century Teak Table LampBy Gerald Thurston, StiffelLocated in Countryside, ILGerald Thurston for Stiffel Mid Century Teak Table Lamp This piece measures: 6 wide x 6 deep x 28 inches high and weighs 4.7 pounds G...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
