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Massive on Wikipedia (in Dutch)
iF Design Award in 1972 – Kaiser Leuchten
The complete history of the Philips company
Vintageinfo
Chandelier of this lamp in white
Klaus Hempel Style Pendant Chandelier
Materials: Chromed metal (iron) elongated globe lampshades. Painted orange inside. Some black plastic tubes and parts. Chrome canopy. Bakelite E27 sockets.
Height: 95 cm / 37.40”
Lampshades: ∅ 14 x 24 cm / 5.51 x 9.44”
Width: ∅ 40 cm / 15.74”
Electricity: 3 bulbs E27, 3 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred. The original lamp designed by Klaus Hempel uses silver cup light bulbs.
Period: 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: To be appraised. Made after a design by Klaus Hempel in 1972 for Kaiser Leuchten (Gebr. Kaiser & Co. Leuchten KG).
Manufacturer: Massive, Mortsel, Kontich and Wommelgem, Belgium.
Other versions: This cascading Klaus Hempel style pendant chandelier exists also in white and yellow (instead of orange parts). Exists with 3, 5 and 8 globes. Also produced as a single pendant lamp and a chandelier. Slight variations were made.
The most important and striking difference with the original lamps is that those of Klaus Hempel are round on top. You can find it over here.
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.
In the 1980s Massive became the leading brand in Europe. In 2002, the brothers left the company 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 Leuchten. The group had about 5.000 employees worldwide and was active in 70 countries.
Raak
This chandelier is often sold as a chandelier from Raak Amsterdam, but it is not, of course. These lamps are not described in any catalogue of the Raak company and Raak lamps always have a label since the 1960s. Sometimes a label disappears, but not always.
Sometimes sold as a lamp made by Kaiser Leuchten but it only has some similarities with the original one. Klaus Hempel designed the table and wall lamp in 1972. Also a cascading chandelier was made. Gebr. Kaiser & Co. Leuchten KG received an If Design Award for this lamp: discipline product. Klaus Hempel also designed several lamps for Hustadt-Leuchten and Kaiser Leuchten.
Chrome and white chandelier, also produced by Massive
