A bronze, Asian-themed table lamp with a verdigris patina, produced in the style of James Mont by the FREDERICK COOPER LAMP COMPANY of Chicago, Ill. The Chinoiserie urn-form lamp body is adorned with a flared rectangular silk shade and a ball finial.

FREDERICK COOPER LAMP COMPANY grew out of a workshop established in 1923 by Chicagoan Frederick Cooper. Initially focused on sculpture and watercolors, Cooper’s interest shifted to electric lamps, a relatively new invention at the time, when only half of American households had home lighting. Inspired by the architectural grandeur of Chicago, Cooper began crafting unique lamps with intricate details, frequently incorporating the chrome finishes and geometric angles of the popular Art Deco style. By combining materials such as brass, ceramics, glass, and wood, Cooper gained recognition for his forward-thinking approach.

Eventually, Cooper sold his company to Benjamin Markle and Russian immigrant Leo Gershanov. Under their stewardship after WWII, the FREDERICK COOPER flourished, and the local artisans at the Stiffel Lamp Company gained a formidable competitor. The timing was particularly ripe as the demand for table lamps to furnish new houses was exploding, and the company built on Cooper’s artistic reputation and his signature styles prospered.

This was the beginning of a manufacturing tradition that endures today as the brand, FREDERICK COOPER. Over decades, many other lamp businesses faded away, while FREDERICK COOPER held steady, building on a carefully guarded reputation for distinctive styles and superb quality. FREDERICK COOPER lamps have been used in the Whitehouse, US embassies, and luxury resorts around the world.

Lighting designers at FREDERICK COOPER innovated in the years that followed, integrating alluring materials like painted porcelain, marble, and jade. Apart from the classic Art Deco designs that defined the studio’s early work, the company’s craftsmen experimented with Asian-inspired designs and produced floor lamps, wall lights, modernist chandeliers, and other fixtures in varying furniture styles such as Neoclassical, Hollywood Regency, and Empire.

Designers such as Larry Laslo, Alexander Julian, Mario Buatta, and Studio Mascheroni contributed to the supply of fresh new designs. FREDERICK COOPER is perhaps equally famous for its shades, which rise above market standards due to designers’ choice of fabrics, shapes, colors, and details.

In 2011 Wildwood Lamps purchased the FREDERICK COOPER brand and continues the tradition of producing high-quality luxury lighting. Today, the name FREDERICK COOPER still stands for superlative design and traditional craftsmanship.

DETAILS

Designer – after JAMES MONT

Design Period/Year – 1950s

Maker – FREDERICK COOPER

Production Period/Year – 1950s

Origin – USA

Styles/Movements – ASIAN ANTIQUE; HOLLYWOOD REGENCY

Materials – BRONZE, TEXTILE

Colors – BRONZE, BROWN, VERDIGRIS

Shade – INCLUDED

Power – UP TO 120V (US STANDARD), CORDED, TYPE “A” PLUG

Condition – Great vintage condition. May show slight traces of previous use.

Dimensions – 16" W × 8" D × 29 ½" H