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Massive – Wikipedia (in Dutch)
The complete history of the Philips company
Black, an interesting story about the origin on Wikipedia
Vintageinfo
Black 1960s Gooseneck Desk Lamp
Materials: Flat round black painted base with a built-in switch. Cast iron counterweight. Green felt on the bottom of the base. Chromed metal rod (iron), chromed brass gooseneck. Chrome lampshade, painted white inside. Black painted metal tube and chrome long nut on top. Bakelite E27 socket.
Total Height: 57 cm / 22.44” – adjustable.
Goosneck: 45 cm / 17.71”
Base: ∅ 15 cm / 5.90”
Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 75 watt maximum, 110 – 220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used. Not a specific one preferred.
Period: 1960s, 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: To be appraised.
Manufacturer: Massive, Mortsel, Kontich and Wommelgem, Belgium.
Other versions: This black 1960s gooseneck desk lamp was also made in cream/beige, blue and some other colours. Below is a beige version.
Often attributed to Hala, Zeist, The Netherlands, but those are false assumptions.
Massive
Massive was in origin a bronze foundry and they produced mainly candlesticks, crucifixes and chandeliers in Wilrijk near Antwerp, Belgium. The company was founded in 1926 by Pieter-Jozef De Jaeck. His son Eddy De Jaeck was responsible for the huge expansion of the company in the 1970s. But it were his sons, Piet and Jan De Jaeck who made Massive a true multinational. Thus, they moved production to Eastern Europe and China.
Massive became the leading brand in Europe in the 1980s. In 2000, 2500 people worked for the company. The brothers left the company in 2002 to the investment fund CVC Capital Partners, for allegedly more than 250 million euros.
Since 2008 the company is owned by Philips and the name of the shops is changed into Light Gallery.
When the takeover by Philips was announced in November 2006 Massive commercialised more than 10.000 lighting products under brand names such as Massive, TRIO and Lirio. The group had about 5.000 employees worldwide and was active in 70 countries.