I adore mid-century modern design which is probably why I’m in love with Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. Furniture, artwork and more from the 1950s and 1960s are found everywhere throughout the series and film. I can now add two more items to the growing list of props or set decorating from this time period – the Deer Meadow Sheriff’s Department table lamps.
FINDING THE DEER MEADOW SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT TABLE LAMPS
When Special Agents Chet Desmond and Sam Stanley visit the Deer Meadow Sheriff’s Department in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, they are forced to wait for Sheriff Cable in the station lobby. While there, Stanley starts counting the total value of all the items found inside the building.
The camera cuts to Stanley seated on the couch next to a side table with a table lamp. I’ve watched David Lynch’s 1992 film so many times in the past 30 years that this image is burned in my brain. In my quest to identify everything from my Lynch’s world, I knew I needed to find the lamp.
I cropped the image and performed a quick image search. Results were immediately returned for an eBay auction.
Labeled, “Tony Paul for Westwood Mid Century Walnut & Brass Toble [sic] Lamps,” the pair was being sold for $695 (a bit too much for me). They measure 18 1/2-inches from base to top of socket, 26 1/2-inches total height. The auction gave me a clue as to where they originated.
WHAT IS WESTWOOD INDUSTRIES?
Tracing the history of Westwood Industries was quite an adventure. Some reports state it was founded in 1921 in New York as a sculpting and molding facility. Others said it was founded in the 1930s to “cast and sell parts to the lamp industry.”
Following World War II, the company became solely focused on lamp production starting in 1946. Performing a quick search on the internet for “Westwood Industries” revels numerous designs, from recreations of historic lamps to brass and ceramic designs to more modern wood and brass designs.
In 1973, the company became a division of Burlington Home Furnishing Group. At the time, Westwood was the largest manufacturer of portable lighting. They also designed and produced lamp shades, thus “controlling all elements of production – from mold making, metal casting, electroplating and finishing to shading, packaging and distribution.” (The News, “Burlington Division Sold, February 16, 1982).
The company was sold in March 1982 to L. Keith Neimann who changed the name to Westwood Lighting Group, Inc. By 1988, the company had moved to El Paso, Texas and made lighting under the brand names Westwood, Carriage Park, and Laurel. They filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 1991 due to financial problems with their then parent company Collins Co. Ltd. of New Jersey. New York City Investment Group Suffield Group Inc. purchased the company in February 1992 for an undisclosed amount. (El Paso Herald Post, “New York Firm Buys Bankrupt Westwood,” February 6, 1992). After the purchase, the company somehow becomes a part of El Paso Electric Company until possibly the late 2000s. Information about the company then trails off.
WHO IS TONY PAUL?
In the 1950s to 1960s, designer Tony Paul created several lamps for Westwood Industries, including the lamps found in the Deer Meadow Sheriff’s Department. Paul was born in the Bronx, New York on February 28, 1918. He later attended Pratt Institute before beginning a 60-year career in designing lighting, furniture and housewares.
His first major stint was as a designer for Robert Barber, Inc. where he designed an armchair selected for the Museum of Modern Art’s Second “Good Design” award in 1951-1952.
The metal frame side chair had an upholstered seat and back, and Madagaska plastic cloth covers. What a beauty!
While living in New York his entire career, his designs were distributed to several companies including Richards-Morganthau (aka Raymor), Mutual-Sunset, Majestic Lamp, Elk Lighting, Westwood, Robert Barber, Verplex, Woodlin-Hall, Spanish Arts, Levco, Brueton, and Gilley. He then formed his own design firm – Tony Paul and Associates – where he was part owner of The Elton Company, which was a portmanteau of the company founder’s given names, “Elliot” and “Tony.”
Tony specialized in lighting designs for more than 20 years. His work won numerous design awards and was featured in periodicals and books. He passed away in 2010 (Modernredux.com).
His granddaughter Lori created a webpage and social media accounts about Tony’s works at TonyPaulDesigns.com. Sadly the social media accounts haven’t been updated in years and the website still lists it as “coming soon.”
I was unable to find exactly when the lamps from the Sheriff’s station were produced but my guess is somewhere around 1961-1962. I scoured many print advertisements before finding a Tony Paul-designed lamp similar to the film’s table lamp in the November 28, 1962 issue of the Minneapolis Star (See B. 41-inch Modern Danish Brass and Walnut lamp).
APPEARANCES IN TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME
The lamps make a very brief appearance in the film. While look at this scene, I noticed Agent Stanley holding up his glasses to look at something off camera as Agent Desmond moves toward Deputy Cliff and the giggling secretary. Desmond is blocking the lamp in this shot.
But by the time he corrects Deputy Cliff, Agent Stanley is watching the scene unfold while sitting next to the lamp.
When the Agents return with the FBI Crime Van driver (Steven Beard), Sheriff Cable is blocking the lamp.
When the camera cuts, you can see a sliver of the lamp under Sheriff Cable’s arm. It’s difficult to say if the crew used a pair of lamps for this location, or if they just moved the lamp from the right side of the couch to the left.
Either way, I would love to have these lamps for my collection one day. Just have to find a pair that is reasonably priced.
