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Reference 18_3016

British street lighting by BTH

Era: 1950s Origin: UK

Original British street lanterns made by British Thomson-Houston (BTH), salvaged from an electrical substation in West London, UK. The pendants have been sensitively refurbished with an industrial yet elegant style perfectly suited to both kitchen and living areas.

UK

Origin: UK

Lighting design in the UK benefitted from a free market. Different companies were working at the same time, designing and producing similar products for the same market. Often with only slight differences in their style, they constantly upgraded and improved their original designs. The products we salvage come from the old industrial heartland of England. This area of the UK was once the boiler room of the British economy - from the potteries of Stoke, through the engineering works of Birmingham, to the wool, textile and cotton mills of Oldham and Manchester.

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Restoration

The light comprises a two-part polished aluminium enclosure, featuring cast makers mark and branding to the top side. The original prismatic glass reflector, with an etched underside, was designed to provide uniformed light to a road. Very often the glass reflectors were damaged due to the wear and tear of daily life illuminating a British street. As a result, these pendants are not very often available in large numbers, making each one a unique find.

Product details

Each light is supplied with new screw (E27) lamp holder, 2mtrs of adjustable wire suspension, elephant grey braided cable and ceiling mounting plate. (If you would prefer another colour cable, wire suspension or an E26 lamp holder for use in the USA, please just ask).

Diameter:
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280 mm
360 mm
3.9 kg
n/a mm
n/a mm
Silver / Clear

Supplied tested to BS EN60598. IP20 for internal use only. All dimensions and weights are approximate.

BTH

Manufacturer: BTH

British Thomson-Houston (BTH) was founded in 1896 in Rugby, Warwickshire. In 1911, BTH obtained the GE patents for tungsten filaments and the Mazda trademark. From the 1930s the company became well known for the production of street lighting columns and lanterns - some of our favourite and rarest finds are the urban prismatic lanterns they produced in the 1950s. The company was abolished during the mass mergers of the 1960s and consolidated under the AEI banner.

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Lights for life

As well as offering a lifetime guarantee that includes repairs, our Full Circle buy-back scheme gives you the opportunity to trade-in your skinflint lights. It keeps vintage lights in use forever - helping you and our planet.

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Applications

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A quick word from our customers

Excellent service

Excellent service in all respects.

- David | Preston | UK

Victorian light

I love it. It arrived quickly and in perfect order. Many thanks.

- Lucy | London | UK

Fire Engine Searchlight

I love the light and Cara was fantastic with bulb advice and sending me a copy of the picture of the engine it came from. Great service thanks.

- Marcus | Letchworth | UK

A piece of history

We found exactly what we wanted at skinflint: large industrial pendant lights from an old Dunlop Aerospace factory. They fill the space beautifully and we often get asked where they were sourced. With such heritage attached to them, they are like a piece of history that adds to the modern vintage feel we wanted to create. 

- Estelle | London | UK