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'<big>Artcraft Fluorescent Lighting Corporation</big> == History of fluorescent lighting in the United States == From the earily days of lighting, no significant developments were realized for fluorescent technologies, known around 1880, until General Electric secured the patent rights to the bulb. In 1939, at the [[New York World's Fair]], the public got it's first glimpse of the [[fluorescent light]] and fixture and soon after, in about 1940, Louis Levy and Max Wittenberg formed the corporation that would become one of the three (3) largest in manufacturing the fluorescent light (or lamp) fixture in the world. In the 1950s, fluorescent lighting outsold incandencent lighting more than any other time in history and for over 70 years went virtually unchanged and is the most common form of lighting in industrial, office, retail, and home use on the planet until popularity of the LED light began in the late 1990s. == Our History == The Corporation started with savings from working at a candy store in Brooklyn, NY from Louis Levy who first began his quest with technology with earning money to live when he assembled radios when we was about 20 years old. From that, he ran a candy store for several years before buying the store and for several more years saved his money. When the idea of fluorescent lighting came to his attention he developed a friendship with Max Wittenberg and together, they started the Artcraft Fluorescent Lighting Coporation with Mr. Wittenberg principally taking on the responsibilities of managing the business, sales, and accounting office and Mr. Levy managing the manufacturing, fixture development, and production depatrment. This was very new to most businesses and professionals who were familiar with incandesent lighting and transitioning to this newer form of lighting was not easy at first. As time elapsed, more and more places of business recognized the benefits of fluorescent lighting, brighter and less manitenance. The idea took hold. There were over 200 employees at the factory and branch offices about 1959. Neon signs also were very popular and manufacturing began of those as demand impinged on society at the time. The company began selling more and more fixtures in the New York City area that they eventually opened showroom offices on Bleeker Street in Manhattan, and then in Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA about 1947. Some notable clients were the original Macy New York department store and the United States Navy just to name a couple. 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 1960s and Mr. Levy continued operations with a new partner until about 1968 when he sold the corporation. They remain in existance today in Brooklyn, NY. == Influence around the world == As most people know, this style of lighting has remained unchanged for over 70 years. Go into any factory, any store, any office building, and look up. They are everywhere. Yet with the advent of newer technologies and especially energy conservation, the 'going green' wave taking place today, the LED light is becomming ever more popular in these establishments and transition to these and other technologies will take many more years. == Past Officers == * Louis Levy - President and a pioneer of the fluorescent light fixture * Max Wittenberg - Secretary and Treasurer * Jay Stern - Vice President * Bernard Lugar - CFO, Chief Financial Officer == Previous Location(s) and Operations == McKibbin Street - Brooklyn, NY (factory), Bleeker Street - New York City, Manhattan (showroom), Callowhill Street - Philadelphia, PA (showroom & sales office), & Washington, DC (showroom & Sales office) == References == <!--- See [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]] on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically --> {{Reflist}} * Past [[United States Army]] Auditor and United States region three Director for Health, Education, and Welfare, Mr. Bernard Lugar * Partner Kulak & Zaslowsky, previous corporation law clerk, Mr. Daniel Zaslowsky, New York City * New York State Industrial Directory, 1949ed, 1953ed * [[Brooklyn Public Library]], select corporate archives * Grandson of co-founder Louis Levy, Mr. Richard Sillman == External links == * [[New York World's Fair]] * [[United States Library of Congress]], corporate archives <!--- Categories ---> [[Category:]]'