We are fascinated by industrial lighting of the early 20th century, and endlessly frustrated with current market offerings. The craftsmanship, the aesthetics, the tough-as-nails durability that characterized Machine Age electrics are nary to be found in today’s marketplace. A handful of companies have endeavored to revive the style but, alas, faux finishes, pot metal and plastic. No bueno. This is our attempt to address that.
DW Vintage Lighting Company was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 2011 with a straightforward objective: to offer high-quality, period-authentic lighting at affordable prices. Every lamp is designed and built by hand in our shop. With each lamp the goal is to harness some of that creative energy of a bygone era and create a piece of art that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Materials:
We’re big on authenticity, so we source many of our components from actual industrial suppliers and retool them when necessary for lighting application. Cast iron, forged steel, spun copper; pulleys, linkages, wing nuts—machine parts become lamp parts. The goal is to create a piece that not only looks the biz, but is the biz in terms of durability and functionality. Sometimes—because we’re so picky, and we can’t always find what we’re looking for—we have parts custom made in machine shops and foundries. For lamp parts, we source only the highest quality sockets, cords, and solid brass fittings.
Finishes:
We abhor faux finishes. Any big box store can sell you a “bronze” table lamp, but pot metal with a painted finish is not authentic, and that’s not a finish that will age well (if at all). Just about all of our fixtures use natural finishes. Aged brass is actually brass, weathered copper is copper, blackened steel is indeed steel—real finishes on real materials achieved through a painstaking process of antiquing techniques and exposure to the elements. Your lamp should look better and better as it ages naturally over time and develops the perfect patina.
Our Customers:
As a testament to our awesomeness, we are proud to say that Subway Breeze has had thousands of customers over the years, both private and commercial. Our lamps have appeared in theatrical and film productions. They are, as we speak, perched on the wall of a café in Melbourne, an inn in Edinburgh, a bar on the Upper West Side, et al. They are in homes in over 30 countries worldwide and just about every state in the Union. We think it’s time you got one.