Two Holophane bulkhead style lights, probably from a factory or industrial building. Sourced in France. The heavy metal base holds a honeycombed prismatic domed glass shade with three screws. We have stripped both lights down and fully cleaned and restored them, adding a period ceramic bulbholder (screw fitting) which brings them up to date and ready to be wired in. Measurements are approx 19cm high overall and 21cm diameter. The weight of each light is 3.6kg.
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
