So in the very early 1916- mid1920's for incandescent lighting, it would seem much of the lighting available was from stand lights on the wings of the stage or as we would now call them, booms. Such short boom mounted fixtures didn’t have yokes unless really heavy, instead they had a single side mount bracket or as I call it shoe horn from the bottom so as to mount directly to a stand. This or a bracket from the side of the fixture to mount it to a stand light. See the past put on the website 1916-1917 Chicago Stage Lighting catalogue page 47 for what parts I reference necessary in use on the fixture and to mount them.
I’m working now with somewhere around a 1916-1926 version of a I think #1N Kliegl Nitrogen Olivette as listed in their 1922 catalogue but given Chicago Stage lighting in their 1916 catalogue had the same fixture... it’s probable that Kliegl had the same back than. This as backed up by Fuchs “Stage Lighting” 1929 book in describing the earlier non-reflector types of olivette in this light being very old. They are very probably going out on a show in the “vendor” tent to that production along with some antique Fender guitars as highlight to the tent. This amongst other antiques from my collection. (No idea of what my rental price for the antiques will be.)
Added to the stand, I want to mount on the pipe a 1920's Kliegl #55 Box Spot also with side mounting bolt for a stand mount - see the Kliegl Brother’s Website for their 1922 catalogue on this fixture. Non-yoke fixture, one with a side mounted clutch cam side to it.
That’s the goal - this single stand with two lights on it, and it would seem very hard to accomplish in the lighting industry. You know... they just don’t make them like that any more and nobody has parts laying around. Contacted by e-mail Mole Richardson and thru my supplier of them for what part would be most like this #219 Knuckle joint I most needed as similar to a yoke mount clutch mechanism to say a 5Kw Fresnel. Never got a reply from them, though one of the owners at TMB was able to get me pricing and it was huge for such a suspected to work part. Like well over a hundred dollars for that part I thought most like the one I needed at the top of the pipe = Mole Richardson charges what they want...
Silly of me not to before this pull out the stand I wanted to mount everything to before today in figuring out what I was to mount them to. Got this one of three Major lighting spoked 18" stands that with two are on my Century 1560's, and one left. Major’s been out of business for a number of years now... it’s an antique stand to mount the fixtures to... will have thought I would pull it out from a corner of my garage before now but I didn’t.
So I got everything up and running for the stand for these lights. The #219 and 221similar parts were of course not available in calling about to many sources. So in McMaster Carr I find the part #9578T41 and both parts of it once drilled out for ½" bolt would be perfect for both the top of the 3/4" pipe and a side mounting on it. Altman still sells stand parts for adjustable 1.1/4" to 3/4" stands so only a question of making all the parts work together with that 3/4" upper stand parts. Simple enough to have the welding shop weld a hole saw cut now 2.1/4" and 1/4" thick steel plate now fender washer to the framing hand rail system bought. Heck, even got a cable hook for the stand from Altman which was set up for a ½" pipe but with a bull pin, hammer and hole in anvil made fit a 3/4" pipe. Various collars bought, painted and all ready to go..
Bring the stand home tonight after a week or two of studying parts, contactaing people and trying to make this work and I now have the painted pole assembly done. Just need to pull and paint the base and it all works.
So, I pull the base out and it’s 1" Sch. 40 pipe fitted to. Everything on the bottom base I have worked on up to now was for 1.1/4" pipe and it’s a done deal in being ready with the upper pipe being 3/4" for the adjustable stand light. Also by chance I do in my misc. parts collection have an original cast iron stand light 1" NPT to ½" NPT stand light fitting which is much more say steel than plastic than what I bought from Altman in what they are selling these days. No doubt in having it I thru out the cable hook for it years ago in never again having a use for it.
So anyway tonight I tried to McMaster the same parts from McMaster - the 3/4" pipe too, an hour of reamer work so as to fit Sch.40 pipe but did work, the ½" Sch.40 pipe fittings are two weeks out. This show is about than if not before. Would have to rush in shipment of these parts and make more flange fender washer fittings to get welded to them but it’s possible to make a stand mount now ½" Sch. 40 version of these brackets. But I’m looking at the off center hole on the Major stand and thinking on the other hand, better yet - now that I just bought and painted pipe, it would be easier and more cost effective to drill and re-tap the antique Major base than replace everything and start over for all intensive purposes.
This even if the 1.1/4" to 3/4" pipe adaptor from Altman is now plastic and I have an antique 1" to ½" pipe adaptor available... the above fixture ain’t light and would not be fitting perhaps for a ½" pipe stand attached to. Could or should have bought more of the Altman parts but wouldn’t have helped me in the end.
Side note, I finally in getting these shoe horn to stand mount brackets for the lights called Vara-Light/Dimatronics/Hub Electric (Old parts Dist., Owned by Altman) 6207 Commercial Rd. Crystal Lake, Il. 60014. (815)455-4400.
I was hoping for the stand parts but who I talked to was kind of resistant to having them or searching stock for them. But a long phone conversation - like 15 years in needing did develop with us. Didn’t get everything I wanted to know answered but did learn a lot about this fascinating company from a person that’s been working for it’s various forms including Major and Hub since the 1960's. He has a 1920's Major Stage Lighting original catatalogue on the way to me which I’ll post to the website out of our discussions. Literally fascinating conversation with someone that’s been in the industry since before I was born.
Fascinating conversation about the Azark aluminum reflectors Major was making for other companies such as Century - before strand for their “Leko” fixtures, and beyond that, this for aluminum stuff such as cooking gear. Mentioned a few local companies they were making stuff for also.
The company was bought out not by Altman in the end or mid by Altman... No not Altman... an architectural lighting company. Rhumers I heard and thought confirmed were wrong, Altman don’t own Hub/Major/ etc.
Fascinating conversation I hope to extend and learn more in. Anyway, Vara-Light/Dimatronics/Hub Electric isn’
t the now Philips owned company - it’s a different company. This company while it has been known to buy up old discontinued parts in the past only mostly has old Colortran or Altman discontinued parts at this point in stock. You should contact them about parts in say similar parts but perhaps do your research or ask me in asking for the parts - this in converting to something they might have. Not persay a computer orientated company for inventory or knowing what they might have laying about or knowing the conversion to ask for. On the other hand, at least one person that’s what well over 40 years in the industry keeping up the place that knows his stuff and might feel you out for amount of help he will give.
Interesting company, think something like Lenard in architectural lighting company now owns or was the past buyout of them in not sure where they currently stand as a company. As opposed to fixture parts that they were well known of for buying up discontinued parts to in the past, they now as a company more specialize in old dimmer and light board parts and service. Got the old Altman and Century amongst other parts in stock - and one should call them for parts no doubt, but didn’t have my stand light parts from early last century.
This or the parts I needed for a Kliegl bi-pin RSC based 1964 Fresnel that I was also working on tonight. First Halogen/Quartz Fresnel in the industry - even if dual ended lamp, and I about 15 years ago in upgrading it to 65Q parts, thru away the mounting bracket for the reflector. Now I’m left from scratch in returning back to a 1964 era Kliegl quartz Fresnel.
This source was my last chance for all above parts and these parts I need. Still though a fascinating converstation with someone that’s been in the industry since before I was born. Will post the 1920's catalogue and try to get more tales from him. This is theater history and what I missed asking from him was any knowledge of Chicago Stage Lighting’s demise, that and in converstation I didn’t write down who Major lighting was bout out by or other places. Gotta get a jot list for questions going for questions given I can type as fast as someone normally speaks which is good. Fascinating contact... About 15 years since in me finally calling.
I’m working now with somewhere around a 1916-1926 version of a I think #1N Kliegl Nitrogen Olivette as listed in their 1922 catalogue but given Chicago Stage lighting in their 1916 catalogue had the same fixture... it’s probable that Kliegl had the same back than. This as backed up by Fuchs “Stage Lighting” 1929 book in describing the earlier non-reflector types of olivette in this light being very old. They are very probably going out on a show in the “vendor” tent to that production along with some antique Fender guitars as highlight to the tent. This amongst other antiques from my collection. (No idea of what my rental price for the antiques will be.)
Added to the stand, I want to mount on the pipe a 1920's Kliegl #55 Box Spot also with side mounting bolt for a stand mount - see the Kliegl Brother’s Website for their 1922 catalogue on this fixture. Non-yoke fixture, one with a side mounted clutch cam side to it.
That’s the goal - this single stand with two lights on it, and it would seem very hard to accomplish in the lighting industry. You know... they just don’t make them like that any more and nobody has parts laying around. Contacted by e-mail Mole Richardson and thru my supplier of them for what part would be most like this #219 Knuckle joint I most needed as similar to a yoke mount clutch mechanism to say a 5Kw Fresnel. Never got a reply from them, though one of the owners at TMB was able to get me pricing and it was huge for such a suspected to work part. Like well over a hundred dollars for that part I thought most like the one I needed at the top of the pipe = Mole Richardson charges what they want...
Silly of me not to before this pull out the stand I wanted to mount everything to before today in figuring out what I was to mount them to. Got this one of three Major lighting spoked 18" stands that with two are on my Century 1560's, and one left. Major’s been out of business for a number of years now... it’s an antique stand to mount the fixtures to... will have thought I would pull it out from a corner of my garage before now but I didn’t.
So I got everything up and running for the stand for these lights. The #219 and 221similar parts were of course not available in calling about to many sources. So in McMaster Carr I find the part #9578T41 and both parts of it once drilled out for ½" bolt would be perfect for both the top of the 3/4" pipe and a side mounting on it. Altman still sells stand parts for adjustable 1.1/4" to 3/4" stands so only a question of making all the parts work together with that 3/4" upper stand parts. Simple enough to have the welding shop weld a hole saw cut now 2.1/4" and 1/4" thick steel plate now fender washer to the framing hand rail system bought. Heck, even got a cable hook for the stand from Altman which was set up for a ½" pipe but with a bull pin, hammer and hole in anvil made fit a 3/4" pipe. Various collars bought, painted and all ready to go..
Bring the stand home tonight after a week or two of studying parts, contactaing people and trying to make this work and I now have the painted pole assembly done. Just need to pull and paint the base and it all works.
So, I pull the base out and it’s 1" Sch. 40 pipe fitted to. Everything on the bottom base I have worked on up to now was for 1.1/4" pipe and it’s a done deal in being ready with the upper pipe being 3/4" for the adjustable stand light. Also by chance I do in my misc. parts collection have an original cast iron stand light 1" NPT to ½" NPT stand light fitting which is much more say steel than plastic than what I bought from Altman in what they are selling these days. No doubt in having it I thru out the cable hook for it years ago in never again having a use for it.
So anyway tonight I tried to McMaster the same parts from McMaster - the 3/4" pipe too, an hour of reamer work so as to fit Sch.40 pipe but did work, the ½" Sch.40 pipe fittings are two weeks out. This show is about than if not before. Would have to rush in shipment of these parts and make more flange fender washer fittings to get welded to them but it’s possible to make a stand mount now ½" Sch. 40 version of these brackets. But I’m looking at the off center hole on the Major stand and thinking on the other hand, better yet - now that I just bought and painted pipe, it would be easier and more cost effective to drill and re-tap the antique Major base than replace everything and start over for all intensive purposes.
This even if the 1.1/4" to 3/4" pipe adaptor from Altman is now plastic and I have an antique 1" to ½" pipe adaptor available... the above fixture ain’t light and would not be fitting perhaps for a ½" pipe stand attached to. Could or should have bought more of the Altman parts but wouldn’t have helped me in the end.
Side note, I finally in getting these shoe horn to stand mount brackets for the lights called Vara-Light/Dimatronics/Hub Electric (Old parts Dist., Owned by Altman) 6207 Commercial Rd. Crystal Lake, Il. 60014. (815)455-4400.
I was hoping for the stand parts but who I talked to was kind of resistant to having them or searching stock for them. But a long phone conversation - like 15 years in needing did develop with us. Didn’t get everything I wanted to know answered but did learn a lot about this fascinating company from a person that’s been working for it’s various forms including Major and Hub since the 1960's. He has a 1920's Major Stage Lighting original catatalogue on the way to me which I’ll post to the website out of our discussions. Literally fascinating conversation with someone that’s been in the industry since before I was born.
Fascinating conversation about the Azark aluminum reflectors Major was making for other companies such as Century - before strand for their “Leko” fixtures, and beyond that, this for aluminum stuff such as cooking gear. Mentioned a few local companies they were making stuff for also.
The company was bought out not by Altman in the end or mid by Altman... No not Altman... an architectural lighting company. Rhumers I heard and thought confirmed were wrong, Altman don’t own Hub/Major/ etc.
Fascinating conversation I hope to extend and learn more in. Anyway, Vara-Light/Dimatronics/Hub Electric isn’
t the now Philips owned company - it’s a different company. This company while it has been known to buy up old discontinued parts in the past only mostly has old Colortran or Altman discontinued parts at this point in stock. You should contact them about parts in say similar parts but perhaps do your research or ask me in asking for the parts - this in converting to something they might have. Not persay a computer orientated company for inventory or knowing what they might have laying about or knowing the conversion to ask for. On the other hand, at least one person that’s what well over 40 years in the industry keeping up the place that knows his stuff and might feel you out for amount of help he will give.
Interesting company, think something like Lenard in architectural lighting company now owns or was the past buyout of them in not sure where they currently stand as a company. As opposed to fixture parts that they were well known of for buying up discontinued parts to in the past, they now as a company more specialize in old dimmer and light board parts and service. Got the old Altman and Century amongst other parts in stock - and one should call them for parts no doubt, but didn’t have my stand light parts from early last century.
This or the parts I needed for a Kliegl bi-pin RSC based 1964 Fresnel that I was also working on tonight. First Halogen/Quartz Fresnel in the industry - even if dual ended lamp, and I about 15 years ago in upgrading it to 65Q parts, thru away the mounting bracket for the reflector. Now I’m left from scratch in returning back to a 1964 era Kliegl quartz Fresnel.
This source was my last chance for all above parts and these parts I need. Still though a fascinating converstation with someone that’s been in the industry since before I was born. Will post the 1920's catalogue and try to get more tales from him. This is theater history and what I missed asking from him was any knowledge of Chicago Stage Lighting’s demise, that and in converstation I didn’t write down who Major lighting was bout out by or other places. Gotta get a jot list for questions going for questions given I can type as fast as someone normally speaks which is good. Fascinating contact... About 15 years since in me finally calling.
