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Harvey Guzzini Brumbry Table Lamp

Materials: Round chromed metal (iron) base. Black felt on the bottom of the base. Cement counterweight inside the base. Rubber O-ring. White lacquered conical ending tube on top. 3 chrome ball nuts. Acrylic mushroom lampshade. Degrading brown on the outside, white on the inside. Chromed iron ring on top of the lampshade. 4 Bakelite E14 sockets.

Height: 43 cm / 16.92”

Width: ∅ 46 cm / 18.11”

Base: ∅ 13 cm / 5.11”

Electricity: 4 bulbs E14, 4 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb with an E14 socket can be used, preferably a white/opaque or frosted light bulb. Clear bulbs create stripes on the lampshade.

The top dome and main lampshade can be switched on independently for up lighting, down lighting or both at once.

Period: 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Luigi Massoni (1930 – 2013).

Manufacturer: Harvey Guzzini, Recanati, Italy.

Other versions: Made in several colours. White and gradient brown are the two most sold. Also orange/red lamps were made and sometimes you find a green one. Later edtions have a metal base in two pieces as you can see below. You can view a rare edition of the late 1970s on the left of this page.

Harvey Guzzini Brumbry often incorrectly named Brumbury.

Project year: 1969

Year of production starting: 1969
Year of production ending: 1982
Commercial code: 507 – Period: 1969 – 1972
Commercial code: 4009 – Period: 1973 – 1982

iGuzzini 

iGuzzini illuminazione was established in June 1958 by Raimondo Guzzini (born 1928) under the name Harvey. Harvey is derived from the famous movie ‘Harvey’ with James Stuart and the invisible rabbit Harvey from 1950.
The initial production of enamelled copper objects was supplemented by decorative luminaires.
In the early sixties it became a family business when his 5 brothers joined the company. In 1962 Luigi Massoni was attracted to lead the design team. He worked for Fratelli Guzzini and Harvey Guzzini until 1976. Luigi Massoni designed many iconic lamps in that period.
The company still exists and changed the name in 1974 into iGuzzini and in 1981 to iGuzzini illuminazione.

Acrylic: often named by its commercial name: Perspex, PlexiglasCryluxAcryliteLucite, is a thermoplastic.

Luigi Massoni

Luigi Massoni was born in Milan, Italy on January 22nd 1930 and was an architect and designer. For some thirty years, he has also worked as a freelance journalist and editor. He lived in Recanati, near Milan where he died in 2013.

After years of education at the “Collettivo di Architettura” of Milan and his first professional experiences between 1953 and 1955, he began working for Alessi and created his famous Bar set. First in 1957 together with Carlo Mazzeri the cocktail shaker and a bit later the Serie 5 containers.

Together with architect Carlo De Carli, he founded “Il Mobile Italiano”. In 1959, associating a group of furniture industrialists, he founded “Mobilia”, one of the first centers for the promotion of Italian design.

Also in 1959, he began working for Boffi Cucine, realizing some of the first modular systems for the home and kitchen. For Boffi he created: the Dogu kitchen and bathroom, the Xila kitchen and bathroom, the Punto bathroom, the E15 kitchen, the AL15 kitchen and the A1 cupboard.

He was editor and director of “Marmo Tecnica Architettura”  from 1956 until 1963. Thanks to his publications, he plays a key role in the development of industrial and craft-based businesses. His works are published in the most important Italian and foreign magazines and have been awarded numerous prizes and acknowledgements.

Harvey Guzzini

In 1962, Luigi Massoni meets the brothers Raimondo, Giovanni and Giuseppe Guzzini in Milan: it is the beginning of a fruitful collaboration. He worked for Fratelli Guzzini and Harvey Guzzini, what later changed in iGuzzini, until 1976. Not only he was the art director but the coordinator of communication and advertising campaign, bringing, as pointed out by Adolfo Guzzinia purification of the form” and “rationality as a new social status “. He also designed the logo of Harvey Guzzini as you can see below.
Luigi Massoni designed some of the most beautiful lights for the company, such as the Alvise, the Moana, the Toledo and this table lamp, the Brumbry.

From this experience he improved the image of many Italian and worldwide industries operating in many sectors: Furnishings; Plastics; Glass; Ceramics; Metals; Precious metals; Leather; Giftware; Household articles and so on. To name a few companies: Cedit (ceramics), Gabbianelli (ceramics), Venini (glass), Nazareno Gabrielli (bags), Poltrona Frau (leather seats), Gallotti & Radice (Adam glass table)…

MEBLO

Harvey Guzzini lamps were also sold under the brand name MEBLO. MEBLO is a Slovenian (Yugoslavia) company.

The MEBLO factory was founded in 1948 when Gorizia craftsmen joined forces and founded the Furniture Factory, later named Edvard Kardelj (communist leader and national hero of World War II). In 1950 the name changed in MEBLO.

At first, they made exclusive furniture, which was later supplemented with upholstered furniture, lighting, plastic and mattresses.

MEBLO also produced plastic chairs and tables, plasticised metal garden tables and chairs, plastic chairs for sports halls, plastic flower beds, mirrors and plastic bathroom equipment (design by Luigi Massoni), wooden set of club tables, shelves, buffet carts and mirrors (design by Gianfranco Frattini).

The last lamps were produced around 1990, 1991 until the break-up of Yugoslavia.

Today the company is named MebloJOGI. It only produces mattresses for beds.

Sijaj Hrastnik

Before Meblo started to produce Harvey Guzzini lamps, Sijaj Hrastnik, another Slovenian company sold them in Yugoslavia.

Luigi Massoni

First editions have a different base, the white painted metal is made in 1 piece

Harvey Guzzini Brumbry Table Lamp - 1st edition base

Harvey Guzzini Brumbry table lamp - Second edition base

Harvey Guzzini Brumbry - old VLM Components switch 1968 - 1972

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Harvey Guzzini Brumbry – switch used in the early years of production.

Harvey Guzzini Brumbry – white edition – also on Vintageinfo, click here

Harvey Guzzini Brumbry table lamp - white edition

Brumbry002Harvey Guzzini logo's

Harvey Guzzini Brumbry table lamp - catalogue picture

The double single pole foot switch model D-662 from VLM is designed by Achille Castiglioni in 1968 and is still in production (2019).

Achille Castiglioni VLM Components Switch Model D-662 Black

Harvey Creazioni logo

Logo used between 1959 and 1964. Inspired by the 1950 film “Harvey“, starring James Stewart.

Harvey Guzzini logo

Logo used between 1965 and 1977.  This logo was designed by Luigi Massoni.

The architect Massoni was invited to work with Harvey as the company’s art director, a move that gave further impetus to the idea of collaborating with designers.

Between 1967 and 1971, Ennio Lucini designed the catalogue tor the DH brand, under which lamps for home lighting were marketed.

iGuzzini logo

Logo used from 1974 until today, designed by Advema G&R Associati. This logo embodied the company’s entire output, which was marketed under other brands such as DH, Doma and Atelier.
It was during this period that the company began making technical products. Spot and flood lights in particular.