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Artcraft Fluorescent Lighting Corporation

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Artcraft Fluorescent Lighting[1] was one of the most influential forces in fluorescent lighting fixture development and production in the United States from the very beginning of the bulb's[2] patent and commercial introduction at the 1939 World's Fair[3].

Video. Plain demonstration of light off/on. To play on iPod 4G, iTunes, iPad 2, Ogg Vorbis decoder plug-in to QuickTime is suggested.[4]

Louis Levy started the business where he first began this quest by earning and saving money assembling radios when he was about 20 years old[5]. When the idea of fluorescent lighting became known, he developed a friendship with Max Wittenberg and together they started the Artcraft Fluorescent Lighting Corporation about 1940[6]. Mr. Wittenberg principally took on the responsibilities of managing the business, sales, and accounting office and Mr. Levy, managing the manufacturing, fixture development, and production department. This was very new to most consumers, businesses, and professionals who were familiar with incandescent lighting yet transitioning to this newer form of lighting was not easy at first.

As time elapsed, more and more was recognized about the benefits of fluorescent lighting, lower operating costs, brighter, and less maintenance[7]. The idea took hold. With the help of over 200 employees at the factory and branch offices about 1959[8], Neon signs also were gaining popularity and manufacturing began of those as demand emanated on society. The company began selling more and more fixtures in the New York City area that they eventually opened showroom offices in Manhattan, and then in Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA about 1947 and began making and selling display cases and electric fans[9].

Graphic. New York Macy's Sign Illuminated[10]

Sales and manufacturing skyrocketed by the mid 1950s east of the Mississippi, and many other companies were beginning to make fixtures to supply the evergrowing world-wide marketplace. Max Wittenberg passed away in the late 1950s and Mr. Levy continued operations with a new partner until about 1968 when he sold the corporation[11]. They remained in existence until about 2002 in Brooklyn, NY[12]. The industry as a whole, realized tremendous success. Since it's inception, the corporation grew over time and was at it's pinnacle in 1952. Maintaining a "AAA" Dunn and Bradstreet rating was not a simple task back then[13]. Very few businesses had that credit rating for an extended duration, analogous to a 5A, ER3, 1 rating today[14].

Graphic. A building lighted at night-The famous Seagram Building-NewYork-4 [15]

Many businesses found success in manufacturing fluorescent light fixtures as they gained popularity in the 1950s and have maintained success in the current business environment. The three (3) major companies from the beginning were, Lightolier, the largest, purchased by Philips Electronics Group Brand recently, with approximately $500 million dollars in annual sales, followed by Artcraft Fluorescent Lighting Corporation, and Globe Lighting, originating from New York City[16].

This style of lighting has remained virtually unchanged for over 70 years. Go into any factory, any store, any office building, as well as other places, and look up. They are every where[17]. Yet with the advent of newer technologies and especially energy conservation, the 'going green' wave taking place today in 2011, the LED light is becoming ever more popular in these establishments and transition to these and other technologies will take many more years.

Some past Officers included, Louis Levy, -- President, a pioneer of the fluorescent light fixture, Max Wittenberg -- Secretary and Treasurer, Jay Stern -- Vice President, Bernard Lugar -- CFO, Chief Financial Officer>, William Fishkin -- General Counsel[18], and previous location(s) and operations were, Brooklyn, NY (original factory), New York, NY, Manhattan (showroom), Philadelphia, PA (showroom & sales office), and Washington, DC (showroom & sales office)[19].

References

© Copyright: Industrial Directory of New York State, vol. 3468, 1949ed, 1953ed, pp. 638, 684 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |year= and |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: year (link)

Lighting Handbook Reference & Application, 8th Edition, 1993 c, previous editions published under title: IES lighting handbook, ISBN: 0879951028, pp. 517–749 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); line feed character in |author-link= at position 80 (help)CS1 maint: year (link)

Diversification and Integration in American Industry, A Study by The National Bureau of Economic Research, Published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, vol. 49, 1962, ISBN: 0313-32442-5, pp. 116, 122 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)

"United States Library of Congress", Business Reference Desk Collection, archives of New York City corporations, Washington, DC, April 1997

Luger, Bernard (May 1995), "Documenting a corporation", Sillman family private collection, 1: 2 {{citation}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)

Zaslowsky, Daniel (May 1995), "An era a long time ago", Sillman family private collection, 2: 3 {{citation}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)

Levy, Paul (October 1998), "Early industry leaders in New York City", Sillman family private collection, 3: 4 {{citation}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)

Sillman, Suzanne (August 1996), "An employee's perspective", Sillman family private collection, 4: 5 {{citation}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)

Sillman, Richard (January 2011), "A retrospective look back", Sillman family private collection, 5: 6 {{citation}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)

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"Lighting the Way", Natural museum of American History, © 2011 Smithsonian Institution and at http://americanhistory.si.edu/lighting/20thcent/prec20.htm http://americanhistory.si.edu/lighting/bios/photo1.htm {{citation}}: Check date values in: |year=, |date=, and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); External link in |date= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)

Lists

  1. ^ Industrial Directory of New York State, 1949ed, 1953ed
  2. ^ Modern fluorescent bulb, Video, How Fluorescent Tubes are manufactured, © Copyright: Discovery Channel episode, 6:43 minutes, link, April 2011: youtube.com/watch?v=YwsDvINxA84
  3. ^ In 1939, GE and Westinghouse introduced fluorescent lamps at both the New York World's Fair and the Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco. Other lamp makers soon followed, Preconditions to 20th Century Lamps, Discharge Lamps: Lightning in a Tube, paragraph 8, Natural museum of American History, © 2011 Smithsonian Institution, http://americanhistory.si.edu/lighting/20thcent/prec20.htm
  4. ^ Above video, from Eliot2000, Wikimedia Commons, a video showing a Semi-resonant start fluorescent lamp starting, Retrieved, April 7, 2011
  5. ^ Suzanne Sillman, An employee's perspective, Sillman Family Private Collection, 1996
  6. ^ Bernard Lugar, CFO, Documenting a corporation, Sillman Family Private Collection, 1995
  7. ^ Mark Stanley Rea, PH.D. FIES, Editor-In-Chief, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, The Lighting Handbook and Reference, 1993
  8. ^ Bernard Lugar, CFO, Documenting a corporation, Sillman Family Private Collection, 1995
  9. ^ Bernard Lugar, CFO, Documenting a corporation, Sillman Family Private Collection, 1995
  10. ^ Above picture, Macy's, from Andy C, Wikimedia Commons, the Macy's sign on 34th Street illuminated at night, Retrieved, April 7, 2011
  11. ^ Suzanne Sillman, An employee's perspective, Sillman Family Private Collection, 1996
  12. ^ New York State, Division of Corporations, State Records
  13. ^ Suzanne Sillman, An employee's perspective, Sillman Family Private Collection, 1996
  14. ^ Bernard Lugar, CFO, Documenting a corporation, Sillman Family Private Collection, 1995
  15. ^ Above picture, Seagrams Building, from dandeluca, Wikimedia Commons, Retrieved, April 7, 2011, dated 2008-07-14
  16. ^ Paul Levy, Early industry leaders in New York City, Sillman Family Private Collection, 1998
  17. ^ Mark Stanley Rea, PH.D. FIES, Editor-In-Chief, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, The Lighting Handbook and Reference, 1993
  18. ^ Daniel Zaslowsky, An era a long time ago, Sillman Family Private Collection, 1995
  19. ^ Bernard Lugar, CFO, Documenting a corporation, Sillman Family Private Collection, 1995


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