the crompton concept This review originally published in: Public Lighting Vol. 18, No. 74, March 1953 A Crompton advertisment was also published in the same journal.

Great advances in the science and art of street lighting were made in the years immediately prior to the war and similar great strides have been made since the war. New light sources, new equipment and new understandings of the factors contributing to good street lighting have all led to improved standards of lighting. It can, in fact, be fairly claimed that the engineers of this country have led the world in this sphere.

The primary purpose of a street lighting installation is no doubt to provide as economically as possible the best seeing conditions for all road users, both for their convenience and their safety. Throughout the same years that have seen such great technical advances there has, however, been a growing feeling in many quarters that insufficient attention has been paid to the appearance of the equipment that has been used to light our streets. Efficiency at night in providing good seeing conditions is an essential requirement, but it is also desirable that the equipment used be of good appearance to grace and not to mar our streets.

Both column and street lighting lantern designers have appreciated the need for improved appearance with consequent improvements in standards of design; yet there is still much criticism of contemporary equipment. The cause of this criticism in many cases is no doubt that in far the majority of cases the choice of the purchaser is restricted to columns and lanterns that have been designed quite independently and not jointly as one concept. The column alone is of pleasing lines; the lantern alone is of good appearance; but together there is discord. Sometimes there is a lack of proportion between column and lantern. Sometimes the styles of column and lantern conflict. Sometimes the proportion is right and the style is right, but there is no continuity of lines. Quite often with concrete columns the change of medium from concrete to the metal of the lantern emphasises any incongruity of the combination.

As long ago as 1947, at the Southport Conference of the Association of Public Lighting Engineers, in answer to this problem, prominent and experienced persons were advocating the design of columns and lanterns as a single architectural conception. The first major move has now been made by Crompton Parkinson Limited with the announcement of the new Crompton Concept.

The Crompton Concept is described as the conception of column and lantern as one architectural composition. The treatment of column and lantern as one composition makes possible the proportion between column - and lantern and the continuity of line and medium desirable for good appearance. By the skilful use of materials the Crompton Concept also makes possible the elimination of all periodic painting. Concrete columns require no maintenance in service: it is now no longer necessary to suspend lanterns from them which require periodic painting, if only for the sake of appearance. Thus, apart from a new high standard of appearance, the Crompton Concept also minimises maintenance - apart from the replacement of lamps, only the occasional cleaning of the optical glass or plastic is now required.

Crompton Parkinson have announced two forms of Crompton Concept.


concept 1

Crompton Concept 1 is for side road lighting with tungsten (100/200 W) or mercury lamps (80/125 W). A crystal prismatic glass bowl supplied for light control is attached to a concrete head developed from the concrete bracket arm. The only exposed metalwork is a narrow ring, between glass and concrete, cast from an aluminium alloy highly resistant to corrosion both in industrial and marine atmospheres. This ring requires no painting in service and maintenance is thus reduced solely to the replacement of lamps and the occasional cleaning of the glass bowl.

The bowl assembly for the Crompton Concept 1 can be supplied for use with Concrete Utilities Estate Minor columns with special brackets of either the Arc or Swan Neck type giving a height of 15 feet to light source.


concept 2

Crompton Concept 2 is for main-road lighting with either 85W or 140W sodium lamps. Light control is by means of "Perspex" prismatic plates sealed to the inside of a self-cleaning open "Perspex " bowl. This bowl is attached to a concrete head developed from the concrete bracket arm so that there is no exposed metalwork other than the lampholder and lamp supports within the bowl. These supports are made from materials of high corrosion resistance and require no maintenance in service. Maintenance is thus reduced solely to the replacement of lamps and the cleaning of the "Perspex" bowl which should only occasionally be required due to its self-cleaning properties under the action of rain.

If desired a hinged attachment with a "Perspex" dish can be supplied for attachment to the open "Perspex" bowl to give complete enclosure for the lamp against dust and weather.

The bowl assembly for Crompton Concept 2 can be supplied for use with Concrete Utilities 3D or 3DN columns with special Arc 2 brackets giving a height of 25 feet to light source.

Rick cleaning concept lantern. Saltdean, Brighton, East Sussex.
© Gary Circa 1984

Rick cleaning concept lantern. Saltdean, Brighton, East Sussex.
© Gary Circa 1984