Vintage Lighting Fixture

[Aman121]

Not meaning to be picky, but is this setup even grounded? Between the kludged inline outlet box switch (dimmer?) and the wires that really really look like asbestos, you probably shouldn't be using this. At least not on the carpet!

Yes your absolutely correct. I would never use this for a show or anything without really going over it. I have borowed others which have been modernized and grounded. I just fired it up for a few seconds. I was not the one who modified the cord, although I did open up the box and it looks very professional. According to everyone I asked its not actually asbestos wire, but rather some kind of treated cloth. Aparenty all of the lighting inventories in the the district were checked for asbestos a while back and none was found. I am a little skeptical myself though, and I would like to get it checked, especially as I had it stored in our basement for a while.....

 

[DrPinto]

Yes your absolutely correct. I would never use this for a show or anything without really going over it. I have borowed others which have been modernized and grounded. I just fired it up for a few seconds. I was not the one who modified the cord, although I did open up the box and it looks very professional. According to everyone I asked its not actually asbestos wire, but rather some kind of treated cloth. Aparenty all of the lighting inventories in the the district were checked for asbestos a while back and none was found. I am a little skeptical myself though, and I would like to get it checked, especially as I had it and a bunch of gear stored in my room for a while while the basement was being redone.......

I figured you knew better...I just had to mention it. When I come across something like this, I cut the wires at the light. It eliminates the chance that someone will use an unsafe instrument.

 

[lekobird]

Thanks for your efforts, Kim. Here's another label,
View attachment 7747
this time, courtesy of eBay, from a 6" Fresnel, (starting bid $44.99, Buy It Now $125, "COMES WITH HARD TO FIND CLAMP").

Interesting that this label only lists the NYC and CA locations. One might surmise it was before the expansion into FL. In case anyone wants to retroactively send a letter to Century Lighting in the 1960s, here are the complete addresses from a Sales Brochure:
521 West 43rd Street, New York 36, N. Y.
1820 Berkeley Street, Santa Monica, Calif.
1477 N. E. 129th Street, North Miami, Fla.

hey gang, just signed up. the century "man" was part of a general catalog advertising scheme. the Head was on Catalog 1. Theatrical lighting. Cat two Or "chest" triangle was Architectural, and cat 3, or the square "butt" was for television lighting. my Head catalog is from 1956. My 1952 general catalog (having the whole figure on it, shows Leko's at 60 dollars and 6 inch Fresnels at 30.50. Those were the days.... The 1570 Series Leko's are from 1960 until about 1967 when the diecast 1490 came on the scene. I had all those at Cal State Northridge... as well as the giant 2k sheet metal Leko's that were actually made by Horlebeck in New Jersey... while the rest of the Leko line came from the West Coast Factory close to LAX.

 

[lekobird]

Century 1572 with Iris and Follow Handle. from 1960

 

[derekleffew]

Most definitely not. I'd bet those were manufactured between 1955 and 1965.

Century 1572 with Iris and Follow Handle. from 1960

Chuck Levy, is that you? Welcome. lekobird, should you ever have a notion to scan your Century Lighting catalog(s) and make them into PDFs, ControlBooth would love to make them available to all.

Also, anything you can do to correctify and expand Memory Lighting Control Systems, History - ControlBooth , please feel free.

 

[Mike9]

I still have some of those in service - 6x9 and 9x12's. I used them to scare upgrade money out of the administration by pointing out the asbestos cable. That worked for about three years. I use the 6x9's for shins & booms and three 9x12's on the catwalk.

 

[kcraigie]

hey gang, just signed up. the century "man" was part of a general catalog advertising scheme. the Head was on Catalog 1. Theatrical lighting. Cat two Or "chest" triangle was Architectural, and cat 3, or the square "butt" was for television lighting. my Head catalog is from 1956. My 1952 general catalog (having the whole figure on it, shows Leko's at 60 dollars and 6 inch Fresnels at 30.50. Those were the days.... The 1570 Series Leko's are from 1960 until about 1967 when the diecast 1490 came on the scene. I had all those at Cal State Northridge... as well as the giant 2k sheet metal Leko's that were actually made by Horlebeck in New Jersey... while the rest of the Leko line came from the West Coast Factory close to LAX.

Fascinating! I don't think I have any of those old catalogs, but I will have to keep my eyes peeled for them. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[lekobird]

Chuck Levy, is that you? Welcome. lekobird, should you ever have a notion to scan your Century Lighting catalog(s) and make them into PDFs, ControlBooth would love to make them available to all.

Also, anything you can do to correctify and expand Memory Lighting Control Systems, History - ControlBooth , please feel free.

I loved Chuck Levy, Wally Russell et all at Strand Century.... The full Strand library is Supposed to come out of storage in the next month or so. (waiting for the heat to abate here in Dallas) there is a whole section of old catalogs, and we are planning to scan all the data sheets as well. All we need is time. Vincent Lighting has offered to help, along with a few colleagues at some universities. i even have the patent files from the 1934 original Leko. And advertizing sheets for MultiQ at Chorus Line. There are very few original Strand employees, but our Alumni cover the globe.