Stadler-Neuwirth Adjustable Beech and Wrought Iron Floor Lamp, circa 1951

Adjustable floor lamp by Stadler-Neuwirth, New York, circa 1951–1952, documented in a period full-page advertisement titled “Modern Black Iron.” The advertisement illustrates this model and provides particularly useful documentation for an otherwise uncommon surviving example of postwar American lighting.

The lamp is constructed primarily of black-painted wrought iron and beech. Three slender bent-iron legs form the tripod base, rising around a central iron standard. A long beech adjustment pole passes vertically through the upper support and is drilled at two-inch intervals. A brass locking pin engages these holes, allowing the lamp to be raised from approximately 34 1/2 inches to a maximum height of 51 inches.

At the top, a horizontal wrought-iron arm extends from the upright and terminates in the original pivoting copper-plated socket assembly. The pivot permits the direction of the light to be adjusted independently of the overall height. The lamp will be fitted with a 10-inch conical shade in paper or fabric, following the proportions illustrated in the original Stadler-Neuwirth advertisement.

The construction is notably direct: black iron provides the structure, while the exposed beech adjustment pole, brass locking pin and copper-plated socket remain visible as functional elements. Rather than concealing its mechanism, the design makes height adjustment and articulation part of the lamp's appearance.

Stadler-Neuwirth was a New York lighting manufacturer active during the postwar period, producing modern lighting for the American residential and contract markets. The surviving period advertisement provides a firm historical context for this particular model; no individual designer attribution has presently been established.

Dimensions

Maximum H. 51 in.; Minimum H. 34 1/2 in.; W. 10 in.; D. 10 in.
Horizontal arm: 10 in. overall L.
Height adjusts at 2-inch intervals.
Shade: 10 in., based upon the period advertisement illustration.

Condition Report

Good vintage condition consistent with age and use. The black-painted wrought-iron structure retains its older surface with scattered minor scratches, abrasions and losses to the painted finish. The beech adjustment pole shows expected handling and wear around the adjustment holes but remains structurally sound. Brass locking pin and pivoting copper-plated socket assembly are present; the copper plating shows age and surface wear. Height-adjustment and socket-pivot mechanisms operate as intended. The lamp will be supplied with a newly made 10-inch conical paper or fabric shade based on the shade illustrated in the period Stadler-Neuwirth advertisement. Professionally rewired.