lyswerket combines the ancient scandinavian word for light, lys, with the german word for factory, werk. lyswerket consists of a digital archive and a newsletter. it is maintained and run by frank daniel smit. i am preoccupied with scouring the internet, antique & design stores and bookshops for examples of these early modern lights in the form of catalogs, pendant lighting and glass globes. since most of the information regarding older lights is hidden away in books and catalogs, i see it as my duty to actualise the lost art form of good lighting. what can these catalogs, interior pictures and lamps teach us about what good lighting is?
my obsession with lights can be traced to the stunning west coast of france, where during one of the bike trips we undertook, as a young boy, i was greatly impressed by the sight of the lighthouse at la coubre. this and subsequent visits to lighthouses influenced me greatly. my parents, who at this point in my life fulfilled their life-long ambition to deal with antiques after opening their antique store, invited me on many a wonderful buying trip. with the little money i had at this point, i started buying lanterns and other maritime items. slowly but steadily, my interest in lanterns intensified and which grew into buying lights for the home, electrical lights if you like. having now found a niche in the light trade is where things are currently at – early bauhaus and classical lights from the period 1910-1940, with the occasional exception.
i started lyswerket as both a visual diary as well as a way to showcase the exceptional variety of lights and lamps. i published 9 newsletters over the course of 1,5 years and they were concerned with the history of pendant lighting. these can be found here and are currently paid-only unless you were subscribed previously.
born and raised in the netherlands, i’ve called sweden my home for the past 16 years. i currently reside on the west coast of this beautiful country.
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