General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

8

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

ALL METAL CONSTRUCTION/.3-.4 HAVE WOODEN HANDLES & GLASS LAMPS; ASBESTOS COVERED ELECTRICAL CORDS.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

11.0 cm

Width

11.0 cm

Height

80.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Lighting Technology

Category

Lighting devices

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Saltzman

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New York

City

New York

Context

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New York

Period

THESE LIGHTING UNITS PRESUMABLY USED C. LATE 1940S- EARLY 1950S +. NOT USED AFTER 1992.

Canada

PART OF A LARGE COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT USED BY YOUSUF KARSH, CANADA'S INTERNATIONALLY HONOURED PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER. FROM 1932 TO 1992, MR. KARSH OPERATED FROM HIS PRINCIPLE STUDIO IN OTTAWA. HE ALSO MAINTAINED STUDIOS IN NYC AND LONDON, ENGLAND. IN 1999, MR. KARSH WAS NAMED ONE OF THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF THE CENTURY. HIS PRINTS & NEGATIVES, AND PERSONAL PAPERS ARE IN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES.

Function

TO PROVIDE INTENSE ARTIFICIAL LIGHT, WHICH MAY BE DIRECTED AT OR ON A SPECIFIC AREA, DURING PHOTOGRAPHY.

Technical

THESE LIGHTS WERE USED AS SPOT LIGHTS BY MR. KARSH, AND ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO THOSE USED IN OTTAWA (970312). THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED AND PLACED IN PREDETERMINED LOCATIONS DURING THE INITIAL SET UP FOR A PHOTO SESSION. SPOT LIGHTS WERE PLACED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SUBJECT, AT THE BACK. THEY WERE ALWAYS SET UP IN THIS WAY, THOUGH MR. KARSH DETERMINED WHICH/BOTH/NONE OF THE LIGHTS WOULD BE USED ONLY DURING THE ACTUAL SITTING. WHEN NECESSARY, A STAND SUPPORTING A BLACK CARD WAS PLACED NEXT TO THE SPOT LIGHT(S), TO BLOCK LIGHT FROM SHINING INTO THE CAMERA LENS. (SEE J. FIELDER NOTES IN SUPP. INFO. FILE 970309)

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

.1,.3-.4 bear identical manufacturer's plates: " J.G. SALTZMAN, INC./ CAESAR MANUFACTURING, INC./ SERIAL/ NO./ [blank]/ PAT. PEND./ NEW YORK "..2,.5-.6 bear no markings.

Missing

APPEAR TO BE COMPLETE.

Finish

.1-.2 HAVE BRUSHED & CAST SILVER METAL COMPONENTS/.3-.4 HAVE BLACK PEBBLED CASINGS/.5-.6 SMOOTH BLACK CONICAL SHADES, FOR USE ON LANP HOUSINGS.

Decoration

N/A