Wireless Chandelier

The celestial-like Wireless Chandelier, as Kelly referred to his design, was installed in the main lobby of the Barbizon-Plaza Hotel and is an example of the artful and judicious control of electric light for decorative purposes. The delicate form of the twelve-foot diameter fixture was possible because, instead of wiring, the structure itself carried the electricity (40 amperes at 6 volts) to 192 miniature low voltage lamps, each equivalent to about one candle’s output of light.

A complex maze of nickel tubing and brass rods, the fixture weighed only 140 pounds. The smooth, lustrous finish acted like an illusive system of reflectors which gave the slowly rotating sphere a scintillating sparkle.

Electrical power was supplied from an above-ceiling assembly to the fixture by way of a vertical, seven-foot nickel rod. At the lower end the rod was connected to a 2 3/4 inch diameter bronze ball located at the exact center of the fixture. Twenty four 5/8 inch diameter nickel “lead” tubes were precisely positioned in the ball and locked into perfect balance. Four smaller nickel tubes were welded at irregular angles to the outer ends of each of the leads which were then fitted with insulated sockets and the miniature lamps. Brass rods, 1/8 inch in diameter, were used as a current return to complete the circuit and provided an interesting contrast in size and color to the nickel tubing. The rods from each lamp connected to 24 vertical brass rods held in exact position by a 15 inch diameter gold anodized aluminum ring at the top of the chandelier.