Links (external links open in a new window)
History of the Staff company can be found here: 60 Years of Light from Lemgo – Zumtobel plant celebrates historic milestones
Gerhard Beigel & Hans Schäfer pendant lamp on the iF Design Award website
Many thanks to Frank from nullviernull raum+kommunikation for the beautiful pictures and enthusiasm. You can find his shop over here on Ebay.
Staff Pendant Lamp 5515
Materials: Round white painted aluminium lampshade. Aluminium reflector. Some metal parts. Conical black plastic canopy. Metal & porcelain E27 socket.
Cord Length: 100 cm / 39.37’’
Height: 25 cm / 9.84”
Width: ∅ 45 cm / 17.71”
Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 150 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.
Period: 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: To be discussed…
Manufacturer: Staff & Schwarz Leuchtenwerke GMBH, Lemgo, Germany.
Other versions: This Staff pendant lamp 5515 exists in several colours and sizes.
These pendant lamp series received an iF Design Award in 1975 and in 1976. The lamps from 1975 (models: 5514, 4415, 5516) are a design of Gerhard Beigel & Hans Schäfer, but the one from 1976 is a design of Alfred Kalthof, according to the iF Design Award website. It is unclear if it is a mistake, but the one from 1976 (model 5596) has the same elongated slots on top as with this one. You don’t see it in the photo of the 1975 lamp.
Alfred Kalthoff, Gerhard Beigel, Hans Schäfer
Unfortunately, no information can be found about Alfred Kalthoff, Hans Schäfer and Gerhard Beigel. They designed several awarded lamps for the Staff company. The 3 designers worked together on several lamp designs. Gerhard Beigel also designed lamps for Peil + Putzler.
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.