Conical Gold Anodised Aluminium TV Lamp

Materials: Gold coloured folded en curved rods base. Gold coloured anodised aluminium conical lampshade, parts and curved rods. Rubber rings, Bakelite E14 socket.

Height: 19 cm / 7.48”

Width: ∅ 12 cm / 4.72”

Electricity: 1 bulb E14, 1 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: Ettore Sottsass.

Manufacturer: Rinnovel Industria Metallurgica, Italy.

Other versions: This Conical gold anodised aluminium TV lamp exists in blue, red and gold coloured anodised aluminium. Made in several colours and variations.

Rinnovel 

No information can be found about the company, except for the fact that Ettore Sottsass designed several items for the firm in the 1950s.

Sottsass designed among others trays and tables for Rinnovel. Published in Domus, March 1956. But also various anodized aluminium objects, such as this lamp made by Rinnovel and produced for the American company Raymor from New York in the late 50s. They were not a succes, according Ettore Sottsass in the Taschen book Domus 1950 – 1959 on page 14.

VLM Components

All the electric parts are also made in Italy and were produced by the VLM Components company from Buccinasco, near Milan in the 1950s, 1960s.

TV

These table lamps were known as TV-lamps because they were made to place on top of a black and white TV to give some contrast light. Some brands of TV’s had these lamps build-in. The Belgium SBR (Société Belge Radio) was such a company, they made it standard in every television.

It was intended to reduce the fatigue of the eyes, because everybody was watching television in the dark. All the other lamps had bright light bulbs and there were few electrical outlets in houses. Today it is an ideal bedside or table lamp.