The Rocket and Barrel (now that would make a good modern day pub name)
The post war period was a fascinating time in terms of design and technological development in almost every fascet of life, including, cars, interior design, domestic appliances, architecture, lighting, etc.
With so many British manufacturers (remember them?) competing against one another, many quirky designs emerged alongside the classic and the iconic.
In terms street lighting design, these period offerings from Siemens and Holophane take some beating for being a little unusual.
Not much is currently known about the background and history of either lantern type, other than a installation of the Siemens rocket shaped sodium lanterns was installed in Bracknell, Buckinghamshire by the company in 1953. Siemens appeared to have used this to help sell the product. There was also an installation of them in Darlington, Co Durham, and several likely others too.
The barrel shaped lantern was an offering from glassware producer Holophane, and was certainly part of their range in 1953. The lantern was offered as a mercury lantern, burning two 125w MBF mercury lamps (green-white light).. However, this example seen here is a sodium (yellow light) lantern. I think it fair to say that neither type was popular and presumably very few were sold.
These impossibly rare & intact examples had survived along with others in the Dagenham Docks of Essex area from the 1950s until 2013, when they were thankfully rescued by fellow collectors.
The black staining on the Barrel lantern's glass appears to be decades of London's smoke and soot deposits washed down by the rain on to the area around the Thames Estuary.
My sincere thanks to BC and PO for their gallant efforts in saving these wondrous fittings from a time when Britain was a very different place.
More about the types here:
www.simoncornwell.com/lighting/manufact/siemens/archive/p...
www.simoncornwell.com/lighting/manufact/holophane/archive...
The Rocket and Barrel (now that would make a good modern day pub name)
The post war period was a fascinating time in terms of design and technological development in almost every fascet of life, including, cars, interior design, domestic appliances, architecture, lighting, etc.
With so many British manufacturers (remember them?) competing against one another, many quirky designs emerged alongside the classic and the iconic.
In terms street lighting design, these period offerings from Siemens and Holophane take some beating for being a little unusual.
Not much is currently known about the background and history of either lantern type, other than a installation of the Siemens rocket shaped sodium lanterns was installed in Bracknell, Buckinghamshire by the company in 1953. Siemens appeared to have used this to help sell the product. There was also an installation of them in Darlington, Co Durham, and several likely others too.
The barrel shaped lantern was an offering from glassware producer Holophane, and was certainly part of their range in 1953. The lantern was offered as a mercury lantern, burning two 125w MBF mercury lamps (green-white light).. However, this example seen here is a sodium (yellow light) lantern. I think it fair to say that neither type was popular and presumably very few were sold.
These impossibly rare & intact examples had survived along with others in the Dagenham Docks of Essex area from the 1950s until 2013, when they were thankfully rescued by fellow collectors.
The black staining on the Barrel lantern's glass appears to be decades of London's smoke and soot deposits washed down by the rain on to the area around the Thames Estuary.
My sincere thanks to BC and PO for their gallant efforts in saving these wondrous fittings from a time when Britain was a very different place.
More about the types here:
www.simoncornwell.com/lighting/manufact/siemens/archive/p...
www.simoncornwell.com/lighting/manufact/holophane/archive...