Harvey Guzzini Faro Pendant Lamp
Project year: 1970
Year of production starting: 1970
Year of production ending: 1977
Commercial code: 2251
Period: 1970 – 1972
Commercial code: 3031
Period: 1973 – 1977
Prototypes
Prototypes of this lamp were made from 1967 until 1973.
Lamps in the movies!
A Harvey Guzzini Faro pendant lamp was used as a prop in the 2013 French film Les Garçons et Guillaume, à Table! (Me, Myself and Mum). An autobiographical comedy written, directed by and starring Guillaume Gallienne.
A Harvey Guzzini Faro pendant lamp was used as a prop in the 1977 French-Italian crime-thriller film Armaguedon. Starring Alain Delon, Jean Yanne and Renato Salvatori. Also an orange version appears in the movie.
Harvey Guzzini Faro Pendant Lamp
Materials: White plastic (acrylic/methacrylate) and chromed metal (iron). Metal socket.
Cord Length: 80 cm / 31.49’’
Height: 22 cm / 8.66”
Width: ∅ 33 cm / 12.99”
Electricity: 1 light bulbs E27, 1 x 100 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.
Period: 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: Harvey Guzzini, the design team of the company, led by Luigi Massoni.
Manufacturer: Harvey Guzzini, Recanati, Italy, today named iGuzzini.
Other versions: The Harvey Guzzini Faro pendant lamp was also made with a rise & fall mechanism. Made as a floor lamp and a table lamp. Produced in red, orange, white, transparent brown…
Faro: Italian word for lighthouse.
iGuzzini illuminazione
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
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.
Acrylic: often named by its commercial name: Perspex, Plexiglas, Crylux, Acrylite, Lucite, is a thermoplastic.
Links (external links open in a new window)
iGuzzini illuminazione website
Les Garçons et Guillaume, à Table! (2013) film – Wikipedia
Les Garçons et Guillaume, à Table! (2013) film – IMDB
Armaguedon (1977) film – Wikipedia
Vintageinfo
Harvey Guzzini Faro table lamps
Orange rise and fall version of this Faro pendant lamp
Many thanks to Dragoslav of Design70Shop for the all the help. You can find his shop on Etsy over here.
Logo used between 1959 and 1964. Inspired by the 1950 film “Harvey“, starring James Stewart.
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.
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.