East German Picture Lamp

Materials: Red-orange round wall mount and rod Red-orange painted metal (iron) tubular elongated lampshade. Adjustable nickel-plated rod and ornamental screws. Some metal and plastic parts. Bakelite E14 sockets.

Width: 35 cm / 13.77”

Depth: 19 cm / 7.48” – extendable until 22 cm / 8.66”

Wall Mount: ∅ 8 cm / 3.14”

Electricity: 2 bulbs E14, 2 x 40 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: To be appraised.

Manufacturer: Produced in East Germany by Massive, Mortsel, Wommelgem and Kontich, Belgium.

Other versions: This East German picture lamp was in all probability produced in several colours. Also a small version with 1 light bulb exists. These lamps are equipped with spiral wires.

The plug is of this desk lamp is made by Krania. Krania is a former East German plug and socket company from Kranichfeld. The Krania company still exists.

The switch is made by SBR, also an East German company. Not to be confused with the Belgian SBR radio and TV company.

These picture lamps are in a much better quality made than we’re used to from the Massive lighting company. So in all probability they were produced for the Belgian lamp company and not by Massive. Massive tried to be as cheap as possible. Workforce and materials were inexpensive at that time in East Germany.

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. The group had about 5.000 employees worldwide and was active in 70 countries.

Massive sold many lamps made by others. Peill + Putzler from Germany and Yamada Shomei from Japan produced lamps for Massive, to name a few. Many other lighting companies did.