Nordisk Solar Pendant Lamp

Materials: White painted metal (iron) slats, square folded and stacked crosswise. Bakelite E14 socket.

Cord Length: 80 cm / 31.49’’

Height: 23 cm / 9.05”

Width: ∅ 19 cm / 7.48”

Electricity: 1 bulb E14, 1 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Niels Esmann & Hans C. Jensen.

Manufacturer: Nordisk Solar Compagni, Denmark.

Other versions: This Nordisk Solar pendant lamp exists in white, purple, orange, green and possibly also in some other colours. Early editions have a white interior surface. Also exist in a much bigger version as shown below. Prescolite also sold a garden lamp version. For the moment it is unclear if other companies did.

Niels Esmann & Hans C. Jensen were two Danish architects who designed several lamps for the Nordisk Solar Compagni. This lamp was probably designed in 1960 as it starts to appear in catalogues and brochures in 1961. In the USA these lamps were sold by Prescolite.  Today Prescolite is part of LBC Lighting. Probably also some other companies sold Nordisk Solar lamps.

Nordisk Solar

Nordisk Solar was founded in 1919 by Jacob L. Jørgensen and Herluf Sørensen. The company started business as an import and wholesale company of electricity meters. Later they produced radios under the name Audiola. Since the early 1960s “Solar” focused on high-quality lighting. Designers that worked for the company are, among others: Sigvard Bernadotte, Acton Bjørn, Max Brüel, Vagn Dyring, Preben Fabricius, Anton Fogh Holm, Jørgen Kastholm, Eva, Koppel,Nils Koppel, Sven Middelboe, Jørn Utzon. Swedish lamp manufacturer Hans-Agne Jakobsson A/S bought the company in 1989, and production ended.

ANVIA

The Dutch company ANVIA produced a very similar lamp but it has 7 or 9 layers of slats, this Nordisk Solar pendant lamp has 11 layers, and some other small differences.