History of Lampe Berger
It is Belle Époque Paris at the turn of the 20th Century. At the home of Monsieur et Madame Berger, you can't help but notice the delightfully clean fragrance that permeates the air. You've entered a field of violets, yet there you are, surrounded by smokers.
Is this the work of a magician? No, just a pharmacist turned inventor. On the mantle is a small crystal bottle, a Lampe Berger. The wonderful fragrance wafting from its interior is actually the product of a simple scientific principle, catalytic combustion. It won't be long before this system blossoms into a highly collected art form connected with some of the greatest names in French history.
Now, the practical hygienic Lampe Berger cleans and purifies air in 21st Century homes all over the world.
BACK TO THE BEGINNING
The story of Lampe Berger is intricately entwined with 20th Century French history, especially events in and around Paris, where the company still has its headquarters. Founded in 1898 by pharmacist Maurice Berger, the firm had humble beginnings. Aspiring to improve upon competitors' designs, Berger invented a smoke-absorbing hygienic lamp that used catalytic combustion to remove germs and unpleasant odors from the air. The undisputed world capital of beauty and fashion, Paris was truly the perfect setting to begin Lampe Berger. Just a decade earlier, another Parisian named Louis Pasteur proved his germ theory of disease to the world. French hospitals, morgues and similar facilities were actively looking for new and better ways to eradicate dangerous microbes, bacteria and viruses and deodorize the unpleasant odors they cause. Domestically, Europeans sought a product to promote hygiene in the home.
Paris was the world center for perfume and some of the most amazing glass designers in the world. The people, art and events of the day in Paris profoundly shaped the Lampe Berger company, forever. While he was not the first to tinker with catalytic combustion, Berger's invention--the Lampe Berger--is the only hygienic lamp that has stood the test of time. From Berger's first patent granted more than 100 years ago through today, Lampe Berger has continually upgraded and improved the catalytic combustion process. Lampe Berger is the ONLY company of its kind to bring a century's worth of experience to the brand. Today international research in Limoges has just introduced its latest advancement, the new Air PUR system 3C wick – finally available to customers through Clary & Co.
In 1910 Berger set up shop in Paris at 18 rue Duphot. Soon the finest department stores in Paris were also selling Lampe Berger's faceted crystal lamps and the violet-scented 'Ozoalcohol.' The lamps' appeal was obvious. On their way to becoming a household name across Europe, Lampes Berger survived the first World War. By the time Maurice Berger sold his shop to Jean-Jacques Failliot in 1927, his Lampe Berger had become a wide-ranging success, receiving awards at several international expositions, notably the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, where Art Deco was introduced to the world.
Berger was in the right place at the right time. In the years following the Industrial Revolution, the French perfume industry took a giant leap forward when chemists discovered how to synthesize organic substances to reproduce natural fragrances. Berger's contemporary, Francois Coty, used Lalique bottles to sell Chypre, the first perfume for the masses - a blend of oak, moss, ciste, patchouli, bergamot, rose, iris, musk and amber.
Access to Lalique, Bacarrat, Daum and more of the world's all-time greatest glass artisans helped him create amazing lampe designs that are now valuable antiques in private collections all over the world. Riding high on the company's success, Failliot made important decisions that would expand the scope of Lampe Berger business for all time. Most significantly, he expanded the selection of lamps from about one dozen to more than 100 styles. His goal was to have a lamp for every taste and budget, from plain glass model to a luxurious Baccarat crystal lamp with bronze handles.
By the second World War, Picasso, Jean Cocteau and others owned a Lampe Berger. When Allied bombs accidentally hit his factory in Courbevoie, and supplies became difficult to come by, all seemed lost. Because certain raw materials were still hard to come by after the war ended, production of crystal lamps was limited. Hand-painted porcelain and earthenware lamps better suited the realities of the Post-War era. The new material brought with it new artists and a host of new styles for Lampe Berger.
During the 1950s, new inexpensive aerosol sprays and deodorizing sticks brought new competitive pressures. But by the mid-sixties, people began rejecting plastic and polyester in favor of genuine, simple materials like stoneware. During this period Opaline, a glass with a milky appearance, was another popular option.
Gilbert Failliot, Jean-Jaques' son, ran the company through 1973, when it was sold to Marcel Auvray. Sleek, colorful contemporary styles were introduced and new versions were introduced including an electrified Lampe Berger.
Marcel Auvray's son Phillipe, ushered Lampe Berger into a new era in the late 1980s when he hired Pierre Casenove to design for the company. Casenove's contemporary pyramid lamp was a huge hit and is still in production. His designs attracted other major artists to the company, including the renowned Regis Dho.
In 1993, Lampe Berger first rolled out a new collection called Signatures continuing the tradition of superior craftsmanship and innovative thinking started by Maurice Berger. Today, Lampe Berger is truly a multi-national company with sales throughout the world and the undisputed leader in its field. Often imitated, never replicated: no other home fragrance system cleans the air with the expertise, elegance, and scientific prowess of a genuine Lampe Berger.