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Wall Bracket

Genre: Wall/Pole bracket

The pole or wall bracket was never well received by the early lighting engineers. They argued, quite rightly, that the installation of such brackets compromised the integrity of the lighting system, as lanterns had to be positioned on specific, pre-existing poles or were limited where they could be mounted on walls. The legal wayleaves presented further hurdles to what was already a less than ideal installation.

Yet the use of a pole or wall bracket reduced both capital and running costs. The price of a column could be offset against the much cheaper bracket; and expensive re-painting schemes could now be limited to just the short length of the bracket itself.

The brackets were available in many different lengths, with additional staybars (if a long bracket was required), and ornamentation to suit. Fuse boxes were usually screwed directly to the bracket’s base, but extra unsightly control boxes were required for time switches and/or control gear.

But brackets did have their specific uses. Narrow streets where columns would add clutter and become a nuisance were often lit with bracket mounted lanterns. Rural areas, where the cash-strapped parish councils couldn’t afford columns, allowed a limited amount of lighting to be mounted on telegraph poles. And the regularly spaced traction poles of tram and trolleybus routes presented an almost perfect ready-made installation of columns to which brackets and lanterns were often attached.

In the latter case, the brackets were upsloping, adding extra height so the lantern could be positioned about the tram/trolleybus overhead wiring. Such brackets were also used for shorter pre-existing columns and poles, so the lantern could be mounted at optimum height.

The use of pole and wall brackets has declined in recent years, often with brackets being replaced by column-mounted lanterns. Modern brackets, where used, are now much simpler and comprise a single length of tube with a flanged staybar.



Name: Wall Bracket
Date: Circa 1920s - 1950s
Dimensions: 53cm (length), 34cm (height)
Specs: Tube of ½" BSP bent at 90° and welded to flat plate. With scrollwork, cable clamp and threaded end.
Lantern: Phosco P153 (Third Version)




History

This wall bracket is a mystery and its provenance is unknown. It's made up of a small section of ½" BSP pipe (which is too small to fit most lanterns). Bent at 90° it has been welded to a substantial wall plate which has been drilled with two sets of different diameter holes.

The bottom end terminates with a cable clamp whilst the lantern end terminates with a threaded section. Thanks to the large scrollwork. and small diameter of the tube, no finials would actually screw onto it. In the end the Phosco P153 from the collection was mounted on the bracket, as that also had a small bore spigot hole.

The bracket is also angled at 45° with respect to the plate. Therefore this bracket was probably designed for the corner of a wall, so that the lantern could be angled out between both walls.



Popularity

Very rare. This bracket appears to have been a special, custom made bracket.





The Wall Bracket In My Collection

front profile

Alternative view of the bracket, showing how it's angled with respect to the wall plate.