Holophane' a short History Of Prismatic Lighting
To meet the growing demand for efficient lighting UK company Holophane began to manufacture prismatic glass pretty much at the birth of electricity. Prismatic shades operate by breaking up and spreading the beam of light into a myriad of beams using prisms, making a lower voltage bulb a much more effective light source, perfect for the early days of electricity. As a result Holophane lights were frequently used in Curches, as street-lights and to illuminate factories with lights such as this Paint-works light from the 1950's (easy to spot the age due to the degraded aluminium, all the good stuff had been used in WW2)
A fascinating insight into Prismatic lighting. This short film from Holophane entitled The Legend Of The Prism gives a concise history of the famous lighting manufacturer from it's birth in the early 20th Century to the present day. You can even watch the glass being hand-blown as it used to be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttLOiLcTpbY
Next time you take a stroll down a street, or find yourself in a railway station have a look up and see if you are lucky enough to spot a Holophane light. There are still some vintage ones in use today- although they are sadly quite rare due to vandalism and many have been replaced with plastic shades which simply do have the same quality of light.
You might also like
How to light a small or narrow space
More useful tips on lighting - from hallways and entrances to creating space with light - in our expert guide to lighting small and narrow spaces.
Lighting advice
In conversation with Nick & Stefan at Dodds & Shute
Ahead of The Retreat collection launch, we catch up with Nick and Stefan, the duo striving to bring sustainability to the forefront of the industry.
Our vintage lighting props on the big screen (part 1)
Celebrating our official sponsorship of the British Film Designers Guild (BFDG), we look back on a successful year supplying our restored vintage lights as props for TV and film.
Prop Hire
