Louis Kalff NX 109 Floor Lamp –Vintageinfo

Louis Kalff NX 109 floor lamp black tripod base opal glass diffuser metal lampshade 1950s 1960s Philips

Louis Kalff NX 109 floor lamp black tripod base opal glass diffuser metal lampshade 1950s 1960s PhilipsX 109 floor lamp black tripod base with opal glass diffuser 1950s 1960s Philips

Philips NX 109 E/00 floor lamp in the 1964 – 1965 catalogue. Together with the NX 227 E/00 and the NX 546 E/00 floor lamps.

Louis Kalff NX 109 floor lamp – Monaco

Many thanks to Frank from Flowermountain.be for the photos and the enthusiasm.

Louis Kalff NX 109 Floor Lamp

Materials: Cast iron tripod base, painted with black wrinkle paint. Long black painted rod with brass decorations. Round diamond shaped white opal frosted glass diffuser. Round black painted aluminium lampshade, also painted with wrinkle paint. 4 Bakelite E27 sockets.

Height: 160 cm / 62.99”

Width: ∅ 44 cm / 17.32”

Electricity: 4 bulbs E27, 1 x 100, 3 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

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

Designer: Louis Christiaan Kalff.

Manufacturer: Koninklijke Philips N.V., Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

Other versions: This Louis Kalff NX 109 floor lamp exists in a few variations. In the catalogue from 1964 it appears in the version with a white rod and whiteout the brass decoration. In France this floor lamp was named Monaco, as you can see below.

Koninklijke Philips N.V.

Inspired by the fast-growing electricity industry and the promising results of Gerard Philips own experiments to make reliable carbon filaments, Frederik Philips (his father) financed the purchase of a modest factory in Eindhoven, The Netherlands in 1891. Frederik Philips was a Jewish banker based in Zaltbommel.

In 1895, after difficult first four years and near bankruptcy, Anton Philips joined the company. He was Gerard’s younger brother. With Anton’s arrival, the family business began to expand rapidly. The brothers changed their family business by founding the Philips corporation. They laid the foundations for the later electronics multinational.

In 1930 the first shaver of the Philips company was introduced and was simply called “The Philishave”.

A day before the German invasion in the Netherlands on 9 Mai 1940, the Philips family fled to the United States of America, taking a large amount of the company capital with them.

Operating from the US as the North American Philips Company, they managed to run the company throughout the war. After World War II the company was moved back to the Netherlands, with their headquarters in Eindhoven.

Louis Christiaan Kalff

(Amsterdam, November 14th 1897 – Waalre, September 16th, 1976)

Louis Kalff was a pioneering industrial designer in the Netherlands during the first half of the 20th century. With a solid background including studies in sculpture, ceramics, furniture design and architecture, he began to work for the Philips company in 1924, department consumer electronics company marketing.

In 1929 he started a department for design of lighting products (LIBU – Lichtadviesbureau (Dutch for light consultancy). Louis Kalff was responsible for the lighting sections of the World Exhibitions in Barcelona, Antwerp and Paris.

As a freelancer he also designed posters and advertising for the Holland America Line, Calvé, Zeebad Scheveningen, Holland Radio and many others. Kalff also designed book covers.

After World War II Louis Kalff kept himself active in industrial design for Philips. After his retirement in 1960, Louis Kalff stayed with Philips as a consultant and architect. In 1961 he was given the direction and execution of the Evoluon building in Eindhoven. It was the last work of the light architect who almost worked for forty years at the Philips group.

Lamps in the movies

A Louis Kalff NX 109 floor lamp was used as a prop in the 2006 French comedy film Du Jour au Lendemain (Overnight). Starring Benoît Poelvoorde, Bernard Bloch and Anne Consigny. Here together with a Fase Boomerang 2000 desk lamp.