Jo Hammerborg
Johannes (Jo) Hammerborg was born on February 4, 1920 in Denmark.
In 1957 he became head of design at Fog & Mørup. Hammerborg was a prolific designer, personally creating some 100 lamps for Fog & Mørup and also collaborated with other designers in adapting their designs. Jo retired in 1980, only a short time before both his own death in 1982 and the take-over of the company.
Many thanks to Marjan from Vintage Drachten for the beautiful pictures and the enthusiasm.
Fog & Mørup Ultra Pendant Lamp
Materials: 7 aluminium rings lampshade. The middle ring is painted black, the others are white. Some metal rods. Bakelite E27 socket.
Cord length: 100 cm / 39.37”
Height: 20 cm / 7.87”
Width: ∅ 30 cm / 11.81”
Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 100 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: Jo Hammerborg (1920 – 1982).
Manufacturer: Fog & Mørup A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Other versions: This Fog & Mørup Ultra pendant lamp exists in copper and aluminium and was made in many colours.
The Fog & Morup Ultra pendant lamp was designed by Jo Hammerborg in the late 50’s for Fog & Mørup. It appears in catalogues from the early 60’s.
Fog & Mørup
Ansgar Fog (1880-1930) and Erik Mørup (1879-1972) started their business together in 1904 as a metalwork wholesaler. Two years later they moved to the capital Copenhagen and began to focus on lighting production and over the years taking over several electrical and lighting companies. It was only in the early 1960s that Fog & Mørup really emerged as a key force in lighting design, following the company’s appointment in 1957 of Jo Hammerborg as head of design.
Important designers and architects that worked for the company are: Claus Bonderup, Torsten Thorup, Sidse Werner. Sophus Frandsen, Jørgen Bo, E. Balslev, Peter Avondoglio,. Karen Clemmensen, Ebbe Clemmensen, Hans Due and of course Jo Hammerborg himself.
Lyfa
In the late 1970s Fog & Mørup merged with Lyfa, another leading Danish lighting producer. In 1980 Jo Hammerborg retired. A few years later Lyfa-Fog & Mørup was taken over by Lyskær. The name changed to Lyskaer-Lyfa.
Lyskaer-Lyfa produced lights until 1991, when it was incorporated into Horn Belysning A/S from Aalstrup, also in Denmark, which was itself taken over in 2005 by Nordlux from Ålborg and at a large extent dismantled.
Horn Belysning
The Horn Belysning A/S company was founded in 1952 as a family business and was first named E.S. Horn. In 1963 it changed into Horn Belysning – Horn Lighting.
The company produced lights for IKEA and several other European retail chains. They designed lights but also imported lights from China. In the 1980s Horn was the second biggest light company in Denmark.
In 2005 the name changed into Lightyears, today owned by Republic of Fritz Hansen.
Links (external links open in a new window)
This lamp in the catalogue from 1961 on Danish Lights
This lamp in the catalogue from 1963 on Danish Lights
Horn Belysnign history on Danish Vintage Design
The website of Jo Hammerborg is gone since 2018, it was located at www.johammerborg.com
The story of Fog & Mørup, Danish modern lighting’s superstar: www.classic-modern.co.uk/fog_morup