Marbro Lamp Company was founded by Morris Markoff and his brother, hence the name Marbro from Markoff brothers. They started the company shortly after Wwii. The company was placed in a 3 story brick building in the garment district of Los Angeles, just south of downtown right by the Santa Monica Freeway. While the time they ran the company, they sold approximately as many antiques as they did lamps.
They also had a tremendous enterprise in decorative accessories such as tables, and a lot of animal figurines. There were quite a few dog figurines that were life size. One dog figurine was a life size Great Dane purchased by the actor Jack Webb (Dragnet). There were quite a few celebrities that came in to their shop. One actress who shopped there repeatedly was Deborah Shelton who at the time played the part of "Mandy" on Dallas (remember J.R.).
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Marbro sold their products in general straight through interior designers and a few upscale furniture stores. You would not find a Marbro product in a chain furniture store or discount store. Most of the products were built to order, and a typical order from a designer or retailer took in the middle of 75 and 90 days to complete.
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Most of the components that made up the lamp bodies (ceramic, brass etc) were purchased from small companies colse to the world (see ceramics form from Italy at top of page). In the later years approximately all of the brass came from India. For the most part, none of the bodies were made on site. Marbro was well-known for importing a variety of unique lighting from all over the world. Italy was the source for alabaster, Japan and China for Porcelain, Brass in India and Crystal from Germany and France. Lamps would also be made from sculptures that customers brought in to the shop.
Once the lamp bodies arrived, a group of Marbro employees would make the wood bases, spin the metal caps, make the shades, and do the painting and tinting. With the help of about 20-40 other true world class artisans, metal workers, finishers and hand made shade makers, they produced lamps and shades that are some of last of their kind of art. For example, Marbro brass was never just plain brass. It was stained with a tinting that was homemade and kept secret by the company (reminiscent of Handel Lamp Co.). There were quite a few of these preparations all kept in one of those tiny metal boxes on a 3x5" file card just like a recipe. It was truly unique.
Many of the lamp bodies that were bought were not exactly matched as pairs. Sometimes 10-20 crystal vases would have to be sorted straight through to get 2 of the exact same height so that if the lamps were purchased as a pair, they would match. All of the shades were made by hand by a group of women on the second floor of the building with very tiny automation.
The lamps were carefully high style fine lamps for the times and presently. Brass and ceramics lamps would wholesale for a0 - ,000 while crystal and bronze lamps were ,000 - ,000.
The manufacturing plant was closed in Los Angeles in December 1990 and the catalogue and equipment were moved to LaBarge Mirrors in Holland, Mi. At the time LaBarge Mirrors was a Masco Corp subsidiary. Some time later, the Marbro product line was discontinued. Eventually, Masco sold most of their home furnishings manufacturing holdings.
Marbo assembled a very talented, experienced and most unique group of artists and craftsmen and many of their fine lamps exhibit a safe bet distinctive style. Most of the employees were in their 50's and older. There were quite a few employees in their late 60's and 70's. Today their lamps are very collectible and sought after especially by knowledgeable collectors who are well-known with the company's lamps and history.
It is safe bet from the company's just option of art objects and their unique rights methods of lamp manufacture that their goal was to compose gorgeous unique and very high capability lamps. Their success is safe bet from the very fine collectible Marbro lamps that are still sought after today.
Marbro Lamp HistoryTiffany & Co. Video Clips. Duration : 0.92 Mins.MN345 Advertising coursr work
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