All Articles, Mid-Century Modern Designers, William Curry

Ten Great Innovations by William Curry

The Tranquilite Lamp. The shape of this lamp is akin to a pill capsule. The majority of the lamp consists of the actual light, a white, egg-shaped cylinder. The base is rounded at the bottom in symmetry with the capsule-like appearance. A small switch is attached to the base. The entire lamp is situated on a small wooden square to prevent it from falling over. An extension cord completes the lamp.

The Cattail Lamp. Here is a lamp that consists of about twelve long, thin, white straws with colorful, oval shaped bulbous ends. This gives off the appearance of a collection of skinny balloons. The balloon-like straws are contained inside a cylindrical base. The light is placed inside the base. When the light is turned on, the top half of the base glows with luminescence. The bottom half of the base, which is usually black, includes the light switch and the extension cord.

The Limelite Table Lamp. This is a long, cylindrical lamp that resembles a pillar candle in appearance. The light is a large, white cylinder that is made with ribbed plastic. The base is a small, metal holder that comes in several colors, including red, yellow, blue, black, and white. A circular section of the base is removed that shows where the light switch is located. A tripod (three legs) is attached to the base to support the lamp. An extension cord is included.

The Bulb Table Lamp. This lamp’s appearance looks exactly how it is described. A glass light bulb comprises of the light, while the base is a solid cylinder. The bulbs are manufactured in different colors from red to yellow to black to white to clear to even gold!

The Stemlite Lamp. Shaped like a globe, this large, spherical lamp rests on a base that looks like a cocktail glass. Bases come in a variety of colors from blue to red to black to white. The light itself is usually white, but there have been other colors manufactured, such as silver and gold.

The Mushroom Lamp. The light of this lamp is shaped like a mushroom cloud, hence the name Mushroom Lamp. The bases vary in shape, size, and style, depending on how the lamp is to be displayed. There are Mushroom Lamps for tables, for floors, and even for outdoors.

The Tall Floor Lamp. This lamp is lean and shaped like a light saber. It illuminates near the bottom half of the light fixture, giving off a dim glow. The base is usually made of black plastic and an extension cord is a part of the packaging.

The Luvlite. A miniature light bulb that can fit in the palm of one’s hand. These tiny light bulbs are boxed in a variety of colors. Blue, white, yellow, pink, green, red, and purple are some of the variations of the Luvlite. The base is made of steel and the bulb itself is 25 watts.

The Jax Bookend. Jacks were originally created as game pieces for the game “Knucklebones” where players bounce a small rubber ball and then must scoop up the most jacks before the ball touches the ground. Shaped like a four-pointed star, a jack has four spheres protecting each pointed end. Two more points without the spherical edges protrude from the middle section, making it possible for the jack to stand upright on three sides. What William Curry did with the jack was transform it into larger decorative piece for holding books in place. Curry’s jax bookends have been manufactured from plastic, brass, chrome, and cast iron. Larger versions than the bookend have been created as doorstops and even coffee tables!

The Metal Square bookends. Along with the jax bookend, Curry designed a variety of square bookends made of sheet metal. They often have a simple design on the front. Some of the designs include: a heart, a sunflower, skull and crossbones, a clover, and a rose compass.