PBL Éclairage Public (Unis France) brochure, c1934
A rather fine c1934 brochure and catalogue for the French street lighting manufacturers Établissements PBL entitled Éclairage Public and featuring many of the lanterns that were once so much a part of the French street scene. The company were closely associated with, and appear to share the same address, as the SA Holophane whose components are certainly used in the lanterns shown.
Holophane was a name associated internationally with street lighting - on the Continent, here in the UK and in North America. It had its origins in France in 1893 when "L'ingénieur français André Blondel", in collaboration with "l'ingénieur Grec Spiridion Psaroudaki" patented a prismatic glass bowl reflector for lighting use. By the 1920s the company had spawned three major offshoots by licensing the rights to the patents and designs. In France the company was also involved in domestic as well as industrial lighting.
The designs here show the typical 'style of lanterns as well as some wonderfully modern style columns and brackets, in metal and in concrete (béton). I doubt if many now survive as I imagine as in the UK time will have taken its toll but I think some French 'heritage' street lighting designs probably owe something of their 'look' to these PBL designs.
The brochure is beautifully produced and in a spiral bound format and is produced by that doyenne of French publicity designers and printers the Frères Draeger in Paris.
PBL Éclairage Public (Unis France) brochure, c1934
A rather fine c1934 brochure and catalogue for the French street lighting manufacturers Établissements PBL entitled Éclairage Public and featuring many of the lanterns that were once so much a part of the French street scene. The company were closely associated with, and appear to share the same address, as the SA Holophane whose components are certainly used in the lanterns shown.
Holophane was a name associated internationally with street lighting - on the Continent, here in the UK and in North America. It had its origins in France in 1893 when "L'ingénieur français André Blondel", in collaboration with "l'ingénieur Grec Spiridion Psaroudaki" patented a prismatic glass bowl reflector for lighting use. By the 1920s the company had spawned three major offshoots by licensing the rights to the patents and designs. In France the company was also involved in domestic as well as industrial lighting.
The designs here show the typical 'style of lanterns as well as some wonderfully modern style columns and brackets, in metal and in concrete (béton). I doubt if many now survive as I imagine as in the UK time will have taken its toll but I think some French 'heritage' street lighting designs probably owe something of their 'look' to these PBL designs.
The brochure is beautifully produced and in a spiral bound format and is produced by that doyenne of French publicity designers and printers the Frères Draeger in Paris.