Vintage substation pendants by Benjamin
Era: 1950s Origin: UKA large run of industrial parabolic pendant lights by British manufacturer 'Benjamin', which were salvaged from a 1950s electrical substation in the Northwest of the UK.
A large run of industrial parabolic pendant lights by British manufacturer 'Benjamin', which were salvaged from a 1950s electrical substation in the Northwest of the 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.
View all lights from UKOver the years, our lighting experts have dedicated numerous hours to meticulously dismantling, examining, and updating each individual light one part at a time. But we don’t only piece together the light’s components. We also take the time to investigate its history, studying our archive of old manufacturer’s catalogues for clues to assemble the whole picture. The extract shown is from an original 1950s Benjamin Electric Ltd catalogue discovered in our own internal archive.
Each light is supplied with a new screw (E27) lamp holder, 2mtrs of suspension wire, elephant grey braided cable and ceiling mounting plate. (If you would prefer another colour cable, chain suspension or an E26 lamp holder for use in the USA, please just ask).
Diameter:
|
330 mm |
Supplied tested to BS EN60598. IP20 for internal use only. All dimensions and weights are approximate.
The Benjamin Electric Manufacturing Company was founded by Reuben Berkley Benjamin in Chicago, Illinois in 1898. With the popularity of its lighting, the company expanded rapidly throughout the USA and Canada and then finally abroad, to England - more specifically London - which is where our shades were manufactured. Benjamin was a prolific inventor, mostly in the field of electric lighting. One of his most influential designs was the R.L.M. enamel shade - an influence so profound that this design is what we now recognise as the classic industrial enamel.
View all Benjamin Electric LightsA reinvented Cornish farm that mixes iconic mid-century design pieces with 250 year-old rooms - featuring skinflint industrial lighting throughout.
Read more ...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.
Trade in, get creditWhy we recommend using energy-saving LED light bulbs in all of our vintage lights.
Where our lights can be used internally and externally, including bathrooms and IP ratings.
Our UK Lighting Industry Association (LIA), British Standards and UL certifications.
Our carbon-neutral business policy and our commitment to looking after the planet.
Fantastic light and flex... We will be back for more! Service was unimprovable.
- Gareth | Northamptonshire | UK
I’ve now purchased five different products over two home refurbishments. Alongside the product, the service, speed and packaging it is spot on. It's only skinflint that make me wish I had another project to work on and a larger property to kit out.
- Matthew | London | UK
We adore skinflint lights. Thank you for our latest buy retro Czechoslovakian pendant (V2). We love it, as well as the 1950s Polish street light and industrial pendant lighting we bought from you. We hope you like how we have used them in our home.
- Jill & Tony | Cheshire | UK
Love the lights, love your ethos. Absolutely what more companies need to be doing. I have my Retro Czech Ceiling Lights (V2) in my dining room and the spray of light they give off is gorgeous and unusual.
- Jenny | Lincolnshire | UK