Jo Hammerborg Life Pendant Lamp – 1976 Catalogue Picture
Jo Hammerborg
Johannes (Jo) Hammerborg was born on 4 February 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.
Lamps in the movies
A Jo Hammerborg Life pendant lamp was used as a prop in the 2021 Danish TV crime series Kastanjemanden (The Chestnut Man) Season 1, Episode 1. Starring Danica Curcic, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard and David Dencik.
Many thanks to Craig from From our house to Bauhaus for the beautiful pictures and enthusiasm. You can find his shop on Ebay over here.
Jo Hammerborg Life Pendant Lamp
Materials: Round & conical gold anodised aluminium lampshade with a tube. Some metal parts. Bakelite E27 socket.
Cord: 120 cm / 47.24”
Height: 27 cm / 10.62”
Width: ∅ 30 cm / 11.81”
Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 75 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb with an E27 screw base can be used.
Period: 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: Jo Hammerborg (1920-1982).
Manufacturer: Fog & Mørup A/S and Holmegaard, Denmark.
Other versions: This Jo Hammerborg Life pendant lamp exists in a few colours, but only in one size.
Fog & Mørup produced another lamp with the same name in the 1960s, it was made in glass, droplet style. You can find it over here. It was also designed by Jo Hammerborg.
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)
Lightyears – Republic of Fritz Hansen
Horn Belysnign history -Danish Vintage Design
The story of Fog & Mørup, Danish modern lighting superstar: www.classic-modern.co.uk/fog_morup