ERCO Picture Lamps

Materials: Adjustable conical perforated gold coloured anodised aluminium lampshades, perforated with little round holes. Painted white inside. White Bakelite rotary knob, rubber, felt. Brass curved rod. Some brass and copper parts. Bakelite E14 socket.

Lampshade: 13 x 8 cm / 5.11 x 3.14”

Height: 18 cm / 7.08”

Fixture: 4,7 x 9,5 cm / 1.85 x 3.74”

Electricity: 1 bulb E14, 1 x 40 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: To be appraised.

Manufacturer: ERCO GmbH, Lüdenscheid, Germany.

Other versions: These ERCO picture lamps exists with two lamps on the same base, as you can see. With or without built-in switch or pull cord switch. The logo of ERCO is pressed in the rotary knob. Produced to highlight paintings or art. They can easily be attached to the frame of a painting without damaging it. Also used as a bedside reading lamp. 

ERCO

ERCO was founded in 1934 by Arnold Reininger (1907-2003), Karl Reeber and Paul Buschhaus in Lüdenscheid, Germany. The company name ERCO represents a phonetic abbreviation of the founding name “Reininghaus & Co.“.

The company is still in family ownership. During the early years, ERCO produced parts for lamps. In particular a spring-supported retracting mechanism for hanging lights.

In the 1930s the industrial production of complete luminaires was started. After the Second World War Arnold Reininger and Karl Reeber continued the company. Co-founder Paul Buschhaus had died in the war.

Designers that worked for the ERCO company are among others: Alois Ferdinand Gangkofner, Roger Tallon, Ettore Sottsass. Emilio Ambasz, Shiro Kuramata, Giancarlo Piretti, Dieter Witte. Yves Béhar, Knud Holscher, Franco Clivio, Naoto Fukasawa.

The company was awarded many times thanks to these great artists and the vision of the ERCO company. ERCO received 88 iF Design Awards.