Author Topic: 1930 General Electric catalog GEA-600A with Novalux Lighting  (Read 6768 times)
jjlaber
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1930 General Electric catalog GEA-600A with Novalux Lighting « on: July 30, 2012, 02:09:53 PM » Author: jjlaber
I am a new member making my first post today.

I recently acquired a 1930 General Electric catalog GEA-600A that includes not only the complete line of Novalux lighting but the full range of G.E. products from refrigerators to locomotives. Lighting Gallery members may also be interested in the G.E. lighting accessories such as current transformers, voltage regulators, generators, cable, lamps, sockets, support brackets, etc.

If anyone is interested in any particular items please reply to this topic and I will scan any applicable pages. I plan to scan some of the relevant index pages to show what's available.

I also posted 2 photos today of what appears to be a Novalux 23A lantern / lamp post from Plymouth MA, overlooking Plymouth Rock, along with two pages from the G.E. catalog showing the Form 23A Novalux Lantern Units.

The catalog is chock full of photographs, drawings, dimensions and specifications for all kinds of G.E. products from 1930, at the height of the urban building boom, especially in NY city. I have photos of several other types of lamp posts with lantern or globe type fixtures, but the lantern found in Plymouth MA is the only one so far that appears to be close enough to the catalog depiction to call it a match.

There are about 60 pages of Novalux lighting alone in the catalog, and I plan to post frequently over then next few months as I travel and gather more photos, and hopefully find more matches to the catalog on the road. Literally.
« Last Edit: July 30, 2012, 03:16:08 PM by jjlaber » Logged
Ash
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Re: 1930 General Electric catalog GEA-600A with Novalux Lighting « Reply #1 on: July 30, 2012, 04:44:13 PM » Author: Ash
Hey and wellcome

I'd not expect much things today to be the ones in a '30 catalog. Are you traveling in an area which is kept highly preserved (as in, stuff not replaced while it still works) ?
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jjlaber
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Re: 1930 General Electric catalog GEA-600A with Novalux Lighting « Reply #2 on: July 30, 2012, 05:08:15 PM » Author: jjlaber
Hey and wellcome

I'd not expect much things today to be the ones in a '30 catalog. Are you traveling in an area which is kept highly preserved (as in, stuff not replaced while it still works) ?

I suspect the fixture in Plymouth may be an original, but probably with the guts replaced. Building exteriors tend to be well preserved in New England, especially Boston and coastal MA towns, but I see a lot of what appears to be reproductions as far as lighting goes. I used to live in the suburban Pittsburgh area and still travel there, and there were a lot of buildings (and some streets) that seemed to have original fixtures still using incandescent lamps, probably because there isn't a lot of restoration (i.e. cash flow) going on in that area.

I like anything vintage electrical, but if the subject matter isn't of much interest on this forum I won't post a lot of antique stuff unless people ask for it. Also, if updated/modified fixtures aren't of much interest I won't clutter with posts like the Plymouth lantern. I'm not connected to any municipal facilities that could identify the brands and models of lighting, so unless I find a tag on the fixture I can only offer an educated guess.

There is an old lamp shop nearby with mostly turn-of-the-century indoor lighting that may be more appropriate since most of it could probably be positively identified. The town of Great Barrington supposedly was the site of the first Westinghouse AC power installation, so maybe they have preserved their fixtures. I have some photos from the Westinghouse Electric plant in East Pittsburgh but that is all generating and power distribution equipment.
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Silverliner
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Re: 1930 General Electric catalog GEA-600A with Novalux Lighting « Reply #3 on: July 31, 2012, 12:11:19 AM » Author: Silverliner
Very cool! I would certainly like to see what was offered in the street lighting and bulb sections in the '30 GE catalog. This is educational for all of us to learn about the history of lighting, etc. By the way LA still has lots of old street lights like the Novalux you mentioned, though most of this specific type have been converted to HPS. Some may still be incandescent.

By the way, have you seen Joe Maurath's street lighting forum at groups.yahoo.com/group/vintage_streetlights ? It's all about old street lighting.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2012, 12:13:12 AM by Silverliner » Logged

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jjlaber
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Re: 1930 General Electric catalog GEA-600A with Novalux Lighting « Reply #4 on: July 31, 2012, 10:26:54 AM » Author: jjlaber
Very cool! ..... By the way LA still has lots of old street lights like the Novalux you mentioned, though most of this specific type have been converted to HPS. Some may still be incandescent.

By the way, have you seen Joe Maurath's street lighting forum at groups.yahoo.com/group/vintage_streetlights ? It's all about old street lighting.

I ran across this site when searching for Novalux on the web, so I am new to being a lighting junkie. I like anything ornate such as iron work, Art Deco architecture, Victorian... especially mechanical stuff (boilers, radiators, iron register grates) and of course lighting. So I haven't run across Joe Maurath's forum yet, but thanks for the tip.

One of the largest antiques shows in the world (Brimfield Antiques Show) is near where I live, and there are always old lighting fixtures there, so I will be sure to get photos at upcoming shows. In fact, Brimfield is where I found the G.E. catalog.

The town of Mount Oliver PA still has lamp posts that look like they are from the same era as the catalog. They are globe fixtures with a Victorian, or maybe medieval looking casting surrounding the globe. They are kinda creepy looking like gargoyles, and I love the look. I'll have to dig through my photos to see if I have one to post. The color of the illumination suggests they may still be incandescent.

There is an old '50s Westinghouse fluorescent fixture in my basement I'll probably post.

I'll post more catalog pages as time allows. Speaking of which, time to get back to work.

Jeff
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Re: 1930 General Electric catalog GEA-600A with Novalux Lighting « Reply #5 on: August 03, 2012, 06:30:52 PM » Author: jjlaber
I just uploaded more Novalux eye candy from the 1930 GE catalog. More to come.
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Re: 1930 General Electric catalog GEA-600A with Novalux Lighting « Reply #6 on: August 08, 2012, 01:12:16 PM » Author: jjlaber
Very cool! I would certainly like to see what was offered in the street lighting and bulb sections in the '30 GE catalog. ...



I posted a few more 1930 catalog pages today, including its only page on Mazda incandescent lamps.

A few years ago I bought some vintage Mazda 10 watt bulbs for a porcelain fixture in our house. I'll have to dig those out and post some photos of them.

Jeff Laber
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