Vintage chandeliers and wall fixtutres have always intrigued me.  During the great growth o f the motion picture industry in the ’20’s. Large, opulent theatres were built all over the U.S.  Some of the lighting fixtures were remarkable.  Some of the great theatre designers developed masterpieces of imaginative design.  Some of the existing theatres were remodeled and made into performing arts centers.  We acquired a number of lighting fixture from theatres that were remodeled or destroyed. Through the years we have reproduced some of these pieces and they became a part of our general collection. Refer to our NMC 1439.  We have custom made this in many sizes.  Some are exactly the size of the original others were modified.   The glass panels we have included  have a beautiful curved, marbleized glass which is made in the U.S..  The individual castings  are made abroad.  The labor to bring all of this together is done in our factory.  This includes various types of electrification including LED, incandescent, and flourescent.  This model has a universal appeal and can be used in residential  and commercial work.

When we acquire antique French chandeliers, we often find fragments of the original “dore” finish.  Before electroplating, gold was applied to the metal surfaces in combination with mercury.  Heat was applied during this process.  This gilt finish is sometimes referred to as “ormolu”.   The “dore” finish was particularly beautiful as the patina was burnish to give various tones of gold. This was a highly skilled process.  This technique was frequently used in the 17th and 18th century.  It was gradually replaced by gold electroplating.  Another substitute technique was simply applying gold lacquer.

During the process of simply cleaning and handling the items with “dore” finish, the finish eventually wore away.  This revealed the underlying brass, bronze or other metal.  The the case of brass or bronze, the unprotected finish eventually took on a finish referred to as antique brass.  The combination of the old “dore” finish with the antique brass often gives the chandelier or sconce a fine aged look with highlights.  I find this finish to be particularly pleasing and do not recommend refinishing the antique.

Dore Finish

Gold Plate Finish

In 1927, one of the most majestic theater, The Coronado opened in Rockford, Illinois. The architect was Fredric Klein. The movie theater also featured live performances which excluded the Marx Bros., Bob Hope and many others. The theater was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979 and the Illinois Registry in 1980. In 1999, the Theater had a major renovation and restoration. The architects were Van Dijk Pace Westlake. New Metal Crafts restored all of the major decorative lighting fixtures. The Corondo reopened as a Performing Arts in 2001.

This is one of a series of major theatre lighting projects we have done throughout the United States.

Chicago and neighboring large and small cities had imaginatively decorated movie theatres. Many in grand style that recalled Medieval Castles with dramatic settings. The movie goer was made to feel that he or she was entering a magical kingdom. Some of the lighting and accessories were valuable prices of art. Some were the personal property of the theatre owners. Another theme was a more contemporary setting. Fixture GA/RE-304 is a typical American Art Deco influence design. This shows an arrow partly composed of glass and painted metal, piercing a metal drum which contained the lamps. This was probably used in an aisle off the main entrance to the theatre. This unusual design reflects the US interpretation of Art Deco of the 1930’s.

Some years ago when Michigan Avenue in Chicago was being redeveloped, a number of significant changes took place. I remember one distinctly. A building at 900 N. Michigan, near Oak Street was torn down.  In its place a new, larger building was constructed.  This new high rise houses Bloomingdale’s Department Store, some significant retail stores, residential as well as The Four Seasons Hotel.  The building that was torn down included a famous French restaurant, Jacques.  I remember Jacques as occupying the ground floor with a series of dining rooms and an attractive courtyard French Bistro in the atrium. The Bistro had cafe syle furniture and some decorative umbrellas.  At the time the Restaurant was demolished, some of the artifacts, including the extraordinary lighting fixtures were sold.  I was able to obtain one of the historic beaded “plume” style sconces.  This original was probably made in the early ’30’s.  This inspired a series of quality reproductions.  The crystal jewels we obtained were actually more optically perfect than the one’s that decorated Jacques.

The pair of massive 5 arm, tier bronze sconce, referred to as AS-101 are originally from and estate in Chicago located on Astor Street.  This is the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago.  The style of the sconces is Napoleon III. The sconces were made in France about the turn-of-the-century.  They are entirely made in bronze.  The design includes cherub figures cast in bold relief.  The arms are square, tapered, with tasteful, traditional ornamentation.  The arms are cored so that the electrifcation is internal.