European Influenced Home Lighting Decor From the 1960s

Artichoke Lamp

• Danish designer Poul Henningson was known for his bold, abstract lighting and industrial styling. He created the artichoke lamp in 1958, and by the 1960s it was available commercially. Seventy-two leaves were hung from 12 arches emanating from a central pendant. The intriguing circular pattern of leaves hid the origin of the light, and the eye saw brilliantly lit leaves, escalating in size, as they moved around the lamp. The original, PH Artichoke, was made of copper. Frosted glass was introduced as PH Artichoke Glass.

Moon Lamp

• Another Danish designer, Verner Panton, a student of Henningsen, gave his design attention to product design. Working in plastics and man-made materials, geometric forms and vibrant colors were his hallmark. In 1960 he introduced his moon lamp, a design made of 10 movable ring-shaped blades of increasing size, revolving around a central pendant. The rings moved, allowing light to move out as glare on the rings or shining directly through the gaps while hiding the source of the light.

Lava Lamp

• The lava lamp was the creation of British inventor Edward Craven-Walker in 1963. The original, named "Astro," was based on the concept of a wartime contraption used as an egg timer. Made of wax and oil and produced in vivid colors, the constantly moving, heated wax floating in oil is mesmerizing. An icon of the 1960s design culture, the hypnotizing effect of the inner movement appealed to a generation experimenting with anything psychedelic. The lava lamp is still produced and sold today.

Italian Anti-Design Lighting

• The Italian anti-design movement was a reaction to modern interpretations of furnishings and lighting in Italy. Modernist designers were placing themselves above the populace and expounding their theories in manifestos and autobiographies. Anti-design practitioners put the user into the equation and created lighting pieces that were interactive. Instead of adapting to design, it made designs adapt to the users. In 1969 Gianfranco Frattini and Livio Castiglioni introduced a luminous tube similar to a vacuum cleaner hose with light bulbs inside. It allowed the owner to position it in any shape or form.

Valenti

• In contrast to the Italian anti-design movement, the lighting designs of the Italian designer Valenti pioneered new, modernistic concepts in lighting development. His sliding ceiling lamp pulled up and down from the ceiling for customized uses. His 24-inch diameter Pistillo lamp, resembling a piece of modernistic undersea coral with lights, has been a best seller since 1964.