Harvey Guzzini Elpis Table Lamp

Materials: Round conical chrome base. White plastic lid on the bottom. Chrome rods, parts and ring. Conical white acrylic mushroom lampshade. Bakelite E14 socket.

Height: 29 cm / 11.02”

Width: 31 cm / 12.20”

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: 1960s, 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: The internal design team of iGuzzini (Ufficio tecnico interno).

Manufacturer: Harvey Guzzini, today named iGuzzini illuminazione S.p.A, via Mariano Guzzini, 37, 62019, Recanati, Italy.

Other versions: The Harvey Guzzini Elpis table lamp exists in two sizes. The big one, is 41 cm / 16.14” high and 48 cm / 18.89” width. It has an E27 lamp socket, 60 watt maximum. Over the years produced in several varieties. Frosted lampshades, brass base, red painted base and so on. Also a pendant lamp was made, as you can see below. It also has an E27 lamp socket and it is 100 watt maximum. It has the same width as the big table lamp. And also a floor lamp exists.

Often named mushroom lamp or Fungo, but that’s another lamp and it was designed by Luigi Massoni.

Elpis: In Greek mythology, Elpis is the female personification and spirit of hope.

Commercial code: 3512, big one: 4035.

In production from 1968 until 1982.

You can find these lamps with labels from Harveiluce, Harvey Guzzini and iGuzzini. In some countries they were also sold under the brand name Meblo. Meblo is a Croatian (Yugoslavian at that time) company that sold products from Harvey Guzzini. Meblo still exists.

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.

Designers

Designers that worked for Harvey Guzzini – iGuzzini are, among others: Giò Ponti, Rodolfo Bonetto, Bruno Gecchelin, Renzo Piano, Norman Foster, Gae Aulenti, Piero Castiglioni, Jean-Michel Wilmotte, Mario Cucinella, Dean Skira, Renzo Piano, Massimo Iosa Ghini, Enzo Eusebi, Massimiliano e Doriana Fuksas, Jean-Marie Duthilleul, Maurici Ginès, Maurici Ginès, Roberto Pamio, Paul Andreau, Felice Ragazzo, Giuseppe De Goetzen, Franco Bresciani, Carlo Urbinati, Giuseppe Cormio, Ermanno Lampa, Sergio Brazzoli and of course Luigi Massoni.

MEBLO

This Harvey Guzzini Elpis table lamp was 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.

Acrylic: often named by its commercial name: Perspex, Plexiglas, Crylux, Acrylite, Lucite, is a thermoplastic.