A restored and rewired Holophane ceiling light and gallery and ceiling rose, to which we have added a period chain. Sourced in France and probably dating from the 1920s, this one is stamped Holophane and USA around the neck of the shade. Measurements are: approx 57cm total height including the chain and rose. Condition is very good, with no chips or cracks. The shade is approx 21cm wide at the bottom, and the gallery is 14cm high. The bulbholder within the gallery can be adjusted up or down, depending on where you want the light.
The Holophane light began life in France in 1893 when Otis Mygatt discovered that placing optically engineered prisms of glass next to each other refracted light more strongly and efficiently. The effect is also very beautiful, and some wonderful pieces of lighting were created during the very earliest years of electricity. Lights such as this were often used in banks, stations and public buildings, and later were developed for home use when domestic houses begin to be electrified more widely during the 1920s and 30s. The Holophane patent was bought in the UK in 1896 when manufacturing began here, and a factory was also quickly established in the US. The company is still at the forefront of lighting technology today.
