No bulbs but the chandelier is in excellent condition. I've wanted one of these for years! This one sat on Craigslist for a few weeks and was right down the street. I don't know how it wasn't snatched up before I got to it.
I took some time to put some flicker flame bulbs in the sockets and test it out and everything works
fine. One of the arms was loose but all that was required was a to remove the cap on the center ball
and get in there with a wrench. I didn't even have to clean up this Sputnik Chandelier before shooting
these pics!
The seller told me that the fixture had been in the house during an estate sale before they had purchased
the home. They said that Everybody wanted to buy it then but that it was being sold with the house.
They had owned the home for a number of years, enjoying the fixture, but now were selling the home
themselves and the real estate agent said it had to go. Lucky me! Does anybody else think it's funny
that a fixture well known by the name "Sputnik" would become an American icon of the late '50s and
'60s? I just wonder how it was marketed in that tense time.
Love it! Was it on craigslist under a weird listing or something? That wouldn't have lasted long on CL in Chicago. :)
ReplyDeleteThat real estate agent is an utter nut bar...most are, actually. Lucky break for you though!
ReplyDeleteCongrats! I LOVE the Sputnik, I picked mine up for free in a trade (I gave 2 smaller wall sconces for the 1 beat up sputnik. Totally got the better end of the deal!) One of the sockets was busted, and I asked a friend of mine if he could possibly fix it. Little did I know that while he had it he took the whole thing apart, rewired, had it rebrassed, and completely restored it for me as a surprise! It is now the main attraction in our new livingroom. From what Dana tells me the "Sputnik" came out in 1954 just a few years prior to the "Space Race" that would begin in 1957, and what we call "sputnik" was actually sold by the name "Astral" along with 3 other model light fixtures by Gino Sarfatti for Lightolier. I adore mine, when my friend wired it in he added a dimmer switch to it and I highly recomend it as well!
ReplyDeleteNice find! One day I will have one too.
ReplyDeleteI love the shape but keep wishing that people in the 50s and 60s had not been so enthusiastic for shiny brass and shiny chrome. Although I'm sure that real estate agents also hate the tinted aluminum Fog & Morup that I would prefer.
ReplyDeleteReal Estate Agent....Status Dufus. Great luck you have!!!!
ReplyDelete