Sourced in France, this vintage prismatic tulip ceiling light is stamped with the Holophane trademark. First produced in the 1900s, it's hard to date these shades exactly but they are most likely early 20th century. We have three of these available in total, two on this listing and a separate one on another as it has a small defect and the loop on the gallery is slightly smaller. The price is per shade. We have added an antique gallery, a new UK made bulbholder and 3-core twisted fabric flex to each shade. We have period style porcelain ceiling roses available on separate listings. Condition of the two on this listing is very good, with no chips. Each shade measures approx 18cm diameter and 15cm to the top of the rim. The height to the very top of the gallery, including the loop, is approx 20cm. The bulbholder is bayonet fitting, and the flex is dark brown.
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.
