The archive
Antique lighting catalogs, with dates
Dating an old fixture is far easier when you can put it next to the page it came from. This is a growing reference library of real manufacturer catalogs, each tied to a known year and a complete institutional scan. Browse selected original pages here, follow every image back to its archive record, and compare the documented forms with surviving fixtures.
E. R. Beers Electric Co.
Lighting Fixtures and Lamps
A 68-page retail catalog of chandeliers, wall brackets, portable lamps, art-glass shades, and electric fixtures sold at the opening of the 1920s.
View 8 selected of 76 scan pages →
Kayline Company
Lighting Equipment, No. 40
A substantial fixture catalog pairing dozens of numbered ceiling designs with wall brackets, lanterns, and a laid-in dated price list.
View 8 selected of 86 scan pages →
Frankelite Company
Lighting Equipment of Charm
A concise 1926 sales catalog moving from ornate chandeliers and crystal fixtures to close-ceiling lights, lamps, fittings, and outdoor lanterns.
View 8 selected of 28 scan pages →
Biddle-Gaumer Company
Exterior Lighting Fixtures, Catalogue No. 19
A richly illustrated catalog devoted to standards, post lights, hanging lanterns, and wall brackets in iron, copper, or bronze.
View 8 selected of 52 scan pages →
Champion Lighting Fixture Co.
The Fourteenth Salesbook
Champion's 1930 residential salesbook captures the transition from revival chandeliers and crystal tiers to lower, modern ceiling fixtures.
View 8 selected of 52 scan pages →
Lightolier Company
Style Book, 1934–1935
A 96-page color-accented style book arranging residential lighting into named historical, modern, utility, and outdoor design series.
View 9 selected of 104 scan pages →Have a dated catalog to contribute, or a question about rights to a specific scan? Get in touch — we credit every source and handle licensing carefully.