Staff
Staff Leuchten – Staff & Schwarz Leuchtenwerk (lighting plant) – was established by Alfred Staff and Otto Schwarz in Lemgo, (West) Germany in 1945.
Their business started as a shop for consumer goods in wood and metal as well as pesticide for controlling the Colorado potato beetle, a huge problem at that time.
Within a year they the company expanded with 15 employees and they produced the first wrought iron luminaires. Over the next three decades, Staff was to develop into a world leader in design excellence, receiving over 200 awards for their achievements.
Staff also collaborated with the Italian company Stilnovo. They published a joint catalogue in the 1970s. The Dutch Raak and the Danish Lyfa sold several lamps in the 60s and 70s. Several other companies did.
In 1994 Zumtobel bought the company.
Staff Chrome Tube Floor Lamp
Materials: Round chromed metal (iron) flat base with a black painted cast iron counterweight. Long chrome rod. Square black plastic connector. Ribbed chrome ornamental adjustment screw. Short chrome rod. Chrome joint. Chrome tubular lampshade. Bakelite E27 socket.
Lampshade: ∅ 6 x 19,3 cm / 2.36 x 7.59”
Height: 160,5 cm / 63.18”
Base: ∅ 26 cm / 10.23”
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. For this setup 2 bulbs were used. A ring mirror globe bulb and a yellow semi globe bulb.
Period: 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: Arnold Berges around 1970.
Manufacturer: Staff & Schwarz Leuchtenwerke GMBH, Lemgo, Germany.
Other versions: This Staff chrome tube floor lamp exists as a table lamp and a globe floor lamp and table lamp. Also wall lamps and spotlights were made.
Some people use it with a PAR 38 spot and a dimmer. Probably it was intended for a semi half globe. Many minimalist lamps at that time used those globes.
Often said that this lamp is a design of Maria Pergay for Uginox, but those are false assumptions. The square plastic middle part is typical for the Arnold Berges design. Several Staff lamps by his hand have this square part, all designed in the early 70s. These floor lamps were a big succes. Staff produced them until late in the 1980s. This one is an eighties version. Early editions have a black base.
In 1971 they received an iF Design Award. The floor lamp with the globe is on display on the iF Design Award website.
Arnold Berges
No information can be found about the designer. He designed many beautiful lamps for Staff. Several of them can be found here on Vintageinfo. An Arnold Berges lives in Hennef, Germany. It is unclear if it is the designer.
Links (external links open in a new window)
History of the company can be found here: 60 Years of Light from Lemgo – Zumtobel plant celebrates historic milestones
Colorado potato beetle on Wikipedia as an agricultural pest
Vintageinfo
Oyster wall lamp – Dieter Witte
Cross Oyster wall lamp – Rolf Krüger