Thornlea House Front Door Light Fixture
This custom and distinctive iron and glass fixture is important to the architectural character of the house. It was created by the Edward F. Caldwell & Company, established in New York City in 1895 by Edward F. Caldwell, a portrait painter and gas lighting designer, and Victor F. von Lossberg, a Latvian immigrant designer and artisan. The firm became one of the premiere decorating houses in the country, especially renowned for their light fixtures and decorative metalwork. Their work can be found nationwide in churches, public buildings, offices, clubs, and private residences.
Caldwell & Company was a favorite firm of George Booth while he was building Cranbrook House. Caldwell created the fixtures throughout that house, at Christ Church Cranbrook, Saarinen House, and Kingswood School. That Henry Booth would turn to Caldwell & Company for Thornlea is consistent with his respect for his parents’ achievements.
Many of the Edward F. Caldwell & Co. catalogs have been digitized and are available at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum Library, Smithsonian Institution Libraries. The receipt for this fixture in Cranbrook Archives matches the catalogs of the company (item A 15352).
Leslie Mio
Associate Registrar
Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research
November 2021
Width (fixture): 16 3/8 in (41.6 cm)
Depth (fixture): 10 1/2 in (26.7 cm)
Height (lantern): 10 1/4 in (26 cm)
Width (lantern): 4 in (10.2 cm)
Depth (lantern): 4 in (10.2 cm)
ProvenanceHenry Scripps Booth and Carolyn Farr Booth (1926–1984)
Henry Scripps Booth (1984–1988)
Cranbrook Educational Community (1988–present)
Credit LineCranbrook Center for Collections and Research
Cultural Properties Collection, Thornlea
Bequest of Henry Scripps Booth and Carolyn Farr Booth to Cranbrook Educational Community
Medium / MaterialsIron; glass
GenreObject TypeLanterns (lighting devices)
Alternate Title(s)
- Bracket (A15352)
- Bracket (C015352)
Select Bibliography and Archival Citation(s)Mio, Leslie S. “History Detective: Light Fixture Edition” Cranbrook Kitchen Sink Blog, March 14, 2021.
Cooper-Hewitt Museum Library, Smithsonian Institution Libraries. "Large Binder 6, Page 28 / SIL-LB006028." Accessed November 18, 2024. https://library.si.edu/digital-library/collection/caldwell/browse/LB006?page=27
