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Reference 11_0990

M.O.D airfield lights. Circa 1950

Era: 1950s Origin: UK

Ex M.O.D airfield lights by "Simplex of England". Substantial four part polished aluminium enclosure with circular prismatic lens and cast makers mark "Simplex Made in England." These make fantastic feature pendants in both residential and commercial environments.

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

Where possible we retain the original finish of a light - it is part of its history and emphasises its heritage. However, sometimes leaving a surface as we find it just isn’t possible. Some lights made from non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium, arrive so severely degraded we need to remove their outer layers to allow any further surface treatment to be applied. We do this using an environmentally friendly technique known as ‘soda blasting’. Soda blasting works by applying bicarbonate of soda to a surface under high pressure. The crystals explode at the point of impact and this ‘blasts’ the layer of degradation away - leaving the surface clean for the next stage in restoration.

Product details

Supplied with new bayonet (B22) lamp holders, 2mtrs of industrial steel suspension chain, elephant grey braided cable and ceiling mounting plate.

Diameter:
Height:
Weight:
Length:
Width:
Colour:

310 mm
420 mm
10.0 kg
n/a mm
n/a mm
Silver

Supplied tested to BS EN60598. Converted for use in the US and worldwide. IP20 for internal use only.

Simplex Electric Co

Manufacturer: Simplex Electric Co

Simplex Electric Co was formed in 1932 when Credenda Conduit Co and Simplex Conduits Ltd of Garrison Lane, Birmingham, merged. In addition to lighting equipment and conduits, the company began to manufacture Creda domestic cooking appliances. Between 1932 and 1965 Simplex Electric Co produced a wide range of lighting products but is primarily recognised for its early elegant prismatic street lanterns, bulkheads and latterly for linear industrial fluorescent fixtures. Then as the mass mergers of the 1960s unfolded, the company was bought by General Electric of the U.S.A. and production as Simplex stopped.

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Featured in: The Dome House, Greece

On the Greek island of Santorini, overlooking the Aegean sea, a Cycladic style house is now home to an array of skinflint lights.

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