1950s Oscar Torlasco Table Lamp 578

Materials: Black painted curved square brass base, painted with wrinkle paint. Brown painted brass. Brass rod. Some brass parts. Brass eyeball, globe lampshade with a handle. Glass optic lens. Bakelite E14 socket.

Height: 50 cm / 19.68”

Width: 20 cm / 7.87”

Base: ∅ 10 cm / 3.93”

Electricity: 1 bulb E14, 1 x 40 watt maximum, 12 volt. 125/160/220 volt adjustable transformer built-in. Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1950s, 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Oscar Torlasco (1934-2004).

Manufacturer: Lumi Cripa S.R.L., Via Imperia 20 and Piazza Missori 2,  Milan, Italy.

Other versions: The 1950s Oscar Torlasco table lamp 578 was made in small variations. Some are 51,5 cm high and over the years other mechanisms were used for the transformer. Made in several colours.

All these lamps were designed in the late 1950s, early 1960s. Some of them were produced for many years.

Oscar Torlasco

Born in Rome, Italy in 1934, Oscar Torlasco designed many beautiful lamps. The most well known are the lamps he designed for Lumi. Torlasco designed for several Italian lighting manufacturers including Esperia, Stilux, Lamperti and Stilkronen. Most of his designs are from the 1950s and 60s. For many lamps, he uses optic lenses for spreading/diffusing the light. It is his trademark. In 1959 Torlasco won the Italian design award, the “Compasso d’Oro” (Golden Compass) for his Genova 4053 street lighting. The lamps were in production by Fabbrica Apparecchi Illuminazione Greco S.p.A. Oscar Torlasco passed away in 2004.

Lumi

In 1944 Carlo Antonio Crippa created his “workshop” Lumi (lights). Cripa surrounded himself with the most prominent designers. Among others Guglielmo Berchicci, Anselmo De Sanctis, Pia Guidetti (Cripa). Maurizio Favetta, Ugo la Pietra, Giò Ponti, Prospero Rasulo.Alessandro Scilipoti, Matteo Thun.Gianni Veneziano and Luciana Di Virgilio  (Veneziano & Team), Mario Vallini, Nanda Vigo and of course Oscar Torlasco. The Lumi company always uses high-quality materials.

Today the company is still a workshop where materials are shaped according to the artist’s imagination. All crafting by hand, even by using modern technology. For many crystal lamps and chandeliers, Lumi produces today, Swarovski is involved. The company is still in family hands and the third generation is now at the helm. Lumi is part of the Falb group.