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Horn Belysnign history on Danish Vintage Design
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Many thanks to Marjan from Vintage Drachten for the beautiful pictures and the enthusiasm.
Jo Hammerborg Tarok Pendant Lamp
Materials: Round somewhat angular conical anodised gold coloured aluminium lampshade. Brass bar, handle. Brass parts. Rise & fall mechanism. Bakelite E27 socket.
Cord length: It has an adjustable rise & fall mechanism (40 – 140 cm / 15.74 – 55.11). It can be easily adjusted in height by pulling the brass bar underneath.
Height: 40 cm / 15.74”
Width: ∅ 41 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: 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: Jo Hammerborg (1920 – 1982).
Manufacturer: Fog & Mørup A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Other versions: The Jo Hammerborg Tarok pendant lamp exists in several colours.
The Tarok lamp is a 1970s design of Jo Hammerborg for Fog & Mørup. It appears in catalogues from that period as you can see.
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.
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.
TAROK – simple and beautiful – gives both direct table light and pleasant room illumination. Fitted with clevis and spiral suspension, the application possibilities are numerous.
