Vintage Atlas Kitchen Light 4' Domestic Fluorescent Light Fitting

The Atlas Kitchen Light, a stylish fluorescent fitting brought out by Thorn in 1959 aimed at the domestic market. One of 16 products recognised in the Council of Industrial Design 'Designs of the Year'.

The gear compartment would have originally contained an all in one Atlas Starter Lamp, used as both a ballast and starter to control a 4' 40W fluorescent tube whilst providing additional light. In this example the original starter lamp and 4-pin starter holder have long since been removed and replaced by standard switchstart control gear.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• thorn
• lighting
• fluorescent
• mazda
• atlas
• netaline
• lamp
• tube
• kitchen
• pop
• pack
• 4'
• 40W
• F40T12
• switchstart

[migette1]

What does the holder look like thought they were a BC with 3 pegs instead of the normal 2. You could probably us a 75w bulb. Will keep a look out at my favorite bootsale for bits they do turn up so lets know what you are looking for, today I found the old style can starter by thorn I have made a video of that and some other older ones

[P42STUFF]

@migette1 these use a special 4-pin starter lamp, which is quite literally a standard 4-pin starter with a filament lamp on the end of it. I'll try and find a pic of one!

I'll have a look at your vids in a bit, just watching tele at the moment! :-)

[migette1]

Nice fitting, you will have to track down the ballast bulb and holder, still looking for one of these or similer no luck to date but did pick up an early can starter with 4 pins will show these soon Peter

[P42STUFF]

@migette1 Yeah I will, I have a 4-pin starter holder but no starter lamp, recently lost out on one listed on ebay! I'll keep the standard switchstart control gear in this fitting, whoever fitted it did a very good job. It's halved the power consumption too!

I should think at some point I'll find another one of these, with original gear hopefully.

Nice find, those 4-pin starters are really rare now! Do you know if yours is the old thermal type or one of the later ones with a glow bottle?

[ChumpusRex]

Wow. That's a beauty.

[migette1]

Hi think I know Is the starter like the one in my vid without the bulb part,think different makes had different arrangements Peter