Lamps in the movies!
An Aluclair aluminium table lamp (or a very similar one) was used as a prop in the 1979 film “Meteor” with Sean Connery, Natalie Wood and Karl Malden. An Hong Kong–American science fiction disaster film in which scientists detect an asteroid on a collision course with our planet.
Aluclair Aluminium Table Lamp
Materials: Tubular aluminium base with burned holes. Round beige fabric lampshade. White painted Bakelite E27 socket.
Total Height: 50 cm / 19.68”
Lampshade: ∅ 35 cm / 13.77”
Height: 41,5 cm / 16.33”
Base: ∅ 9 cm / 3.54”
Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 75 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb with an E27 socket can be used.
Period: 1960s, 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: Willy Luyckx.
Manufacturer: Aluclair, Lembeek, Belgium.
Other versions: This Aluclair aluminium table lamp exists in many varieties. Several others are on display, here in Vintageinfo.
The style of these type of lamps is often named Brutalist. Not to be confused with the Brutalist architecture, or Brutalism from more or less the same period. That’s something completely different.
Aluclair
Willy Luyckx was a goldsmith who worked for goldsmith Camille Colruyt before starting his own business in the 1960s. He also had an art centre in nearby municipality Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. Under the name Aluclair he produced a hole range of items in this style, all made in this burned aluminium; ashtrays, candlesticks and many different lamps such as this one. He also produced chandeliers, tables, chairs, all in this burned aluminium. The Aluclair company was active in the 1960s and 1970s. Willy Luyckx passed away a long time ago.
It’s possible that the design of these lamps is based on/inspired by a design by Pierre Forsell, who designed lamps in brass in this style in 1965 for the Swedish company Skultuna Bruk, as you can see below. At least there are enough similarities.
Lembeek is a small village in the municipality of Halle, some 20 km/ 12.4 mi from Brussels, Belgium.
In The Netherlands Aluclair lamps were sold by Artimeta.
Links (external links open in a new window)
Skultuna mässingsbruk – Wikipedia
Brutalist architecture – Wikipedia
Vintageinfo
Pierre Forsell table lamp for Skultuna Bruk, Sweden
Another Aluclair table lamp designed by W. Luyckx.
