Lita Spotlight Wall Lamp Lirolita VS Luminalite Wall Lamp
A 1950s advertisement for Luminalite, Jacques Biny‘s company. This wall lamp model 243 is often confused with the Lorilita lamp. As you can see, there are similarities.
The Luminalite wall lamp model 243, designed by Jacques Biny.
You can buy Lita’s lamp every day, but Luminalite’s are practically impossible to find.
Zodiaque
Zodiaque was a series of lamps released by Lita, and apparently this Lorilita lamp belongs to it, judging by the label.
Lita Zodiaque Label
Zodiaque label on this lamp.
Two other Lita projector lamps.
Lita produced several types of projector lamps over the years.
Many thanks to Lluís from Eclectique Vintage for the photos of the lamp.
Many thanks to Christian for the help and all the other images.
Lita Spotlight Wall Lamp Lirolita
Materials: Wall lamp made of brass and black painted metal. Brass ornamental screws and parts. Round black painted wall mount. Adjustable tubular brass lampshade with a handle. White Bakelite knob. It features an optic glass lens making it ideal to highlight art work. Brass E27 socket.
Height: 18 cm / 7.08”
Depth: 16 cm / 6.29”
Wall Mount: ∅ 8 cm / 3.14”
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: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: To be determined.
Manufacturer: Societé Lita Groupe Mazda, Lamotte-Beuvron, France.
Other versions: This Lita spotlight wall lamp Lirolita exists in many variations and was made for a long time. Completely black or brass, complete chrome versions, chrome and black. White painted metal lamps. Black adjustment knob. Made with a short and long rod. With or whiteout pull cord switch. Clamp spot versions and so on. This picture wall lamp is model 6131 code L363.
It is always said that these lamps were designed by Jacques Biny, but that appears not to be true. The original Luminalite lamp, model 243 is similar, as you can see. It’s clear where Lita got its inspiration…
Lita produced several spotlight “projector” lamps. You can find another example over here on Vintageinfo.
Lita
Lita, founded by Georges Houplain in 1950, was a French manufacturer of lighting and spotlights for gardening and interior lighting. It was acquired by La Compagnie des Lampes together with Projelux in 1974. La Compagnie des Lampes was renamed into Mazda. Francis Blommaers became the new CEO.
The names Projelux and Lita were used for a couple of years. Prejelux made several Philips lights for the French market. In 2002 Philips merged with Mazda. The two brands still coexist, but the Philips products are presented in the catalog of Mazda and vice versa. From 2007, products previously sold (and labeled) as Mazda products are now sold and labeled as Philips products.
In 2011, the brand Mazda Eclairage and its website, officially disappears to give place to the brand Philips.
Mazda
The name Mazda was for the first time used in the United States in 1909 by General Electric. At that time the light bulbs were not standardized, a problem for customers whereby each lamp holder or each appliance corresponded to a precise type or lamp brand. General Electric therefore had the idea of creating a standard to which any company could adhere.Light bulbs manufactured from the specifications of this standard were marketed as Mazda lamps.Around 1920, many American companies, including General Electric and Westinghouse used the name Mazda to market their lamps.
Jacques Biny
Jacques Biny (1913-1976) was a French industrial designer, interior designer and producer of lamps. He designed lamps from the 1950s through the 1970s.
Jacques Biny was born in Valence, a city along the banks of the Rhône, in between Lyon and Avignon. At the age of 19 he began his studies at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (National School of Decorative Arts) in Paris.
After graduating, he returned to his hometown and started designing light fixtures for the plastering company Decoration Architecturale.
Jacques Biny returned to Paris in 1950 and started designing lights for Omnialux, but after a couple of years he started is own business, more out of frustration because his work didn’t sell good. In 1953 he founded his own lighting company called Luminalite.
His studio was located at Rue de la Folie Régnault in the 11th district in Paris, where he not only manufactured his designs, but allowed contemporary modernist designers to do the same. The most famous of them were Jean Boris Lacroix, Michel Buffet, Louis Baillon and Gustave Gauthier.
In the 1960s, Biny was appointed lighting designer for large-scale projects for cinemas, hotels, administrative offices and even the shipyards of Saint Nazaire on the Atlantic Ocean in France.
Biny owned his company Luminalite until his death in 1976.
Lita Spotlight Wall Lamp Lirolita – 1960s Advertisement
Lire au lit, read in bed. A pun to give this lamp a name: Lir-o-Lita.
Lita Spotlight Wall Lamp Lirolita – Chrome Version
