Large Factory Lights by Wardle Circa for Philips, 1930s

Large Factory Lights By Wardle Circa 1930s Vitreous green enamel – Cast iron tops – Comes with 100cm of red braided cable – Comes with 100cm of steel suspension chain and ceiling hook – Takes E27 fitting bulbs – English ~ 1930s – 46cm wide x 40cm tall Wardle Founded by Walter and Arthur Wardle in the 1890s, Wardle was one of the many new firms capitalizing on the emergence of the fledgling electrical industry. Building the firm up from its Manchester base, Walter and Arthur sold the firm to Chamen and Wilkinson in 1910, but the name was retained. With Walter Wardle leaving for Australia, Arthur moved to Edinburgh and set up another Wardle engineering company (it isn’t known if this was a subsidiary or an independent firm). With the Edinburgh company closing in the 1920s, the firm solidified its trading from its Manchester address. Family members were involved with Wardle until the late 1930s. (M H Wardle became an honorary member of the APPLE in 1930 but he may not be related to the Wardles of this firm). Wardle gained early prominence by designing the first commercial lantern for the low pressure sodium lamp. The Liverpool Lantern, a cut-off, was jointly specified and originally installed by Liverpool Council, the first city to widely adopt the new light source in 1933. The first installation of Philips Cut-off lanterns on the Purley Way, Croydon was replaced by Wardle Liverpool’s on a catenary system in 1936. Despite early successes, Wardle never gained the success of the larger manufacturers, and their products didn’t get installed far from their Manchester base. Wardle ceased trading in the 1980s. Condition Report Each lamp has been fully re wired with modern electrical components, the enamel will show signs of wear in the form of chips and dents.