Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Some Maxfield Parrish paintings were adapted to advertise for commercial purposes, like these ads for Edison Mazda light bulbs, a division of GE


On December 21, 1909, General Electric first used the name Mazda on their lamps. The name was selected due to the fact that Persian mythology gave the name Ahura Mazda to the god of light.

When it was first used by GE it was chosen to represent the best that the American lighting industry had to offer at the time.


In the 1920s, lamps and bulbs were not the routine purchases they are today. Customers who wanted to test bulbs before purchasing them would use a bulb tester in their local hardware store.

It was made about 1925 by American Art Works Inc. in Coshocton, Ohio, for the Edison Mazda lamp division of the General Electric Company.

The logo, which shows two knaves facing each other while they appear to be discussing or contemplating a light bulb, was designed by the American painter Maxfield Parrish. This logo first appeared - without the light bulb or the General Electric trademark - on the cover of the November 10, 1921, issue of Life magazine.

https://www.cmog.org/artwork/light-bulb-tester



From 1924 Edison Mazda calendar comes this Parrish image entitled "Venetian Lamplighter" which was featured on the companies calendar for this year.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/maxfield-parrish-1924-edison-mazda-1808828373

http://www.dreamgardener.bizland.com/mazda5pcframe1919-23.html

sold for 845k
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/american-art-n08996/lot.35.html



http://americanhistory.si.edu/lighting/history/blotters/blot1097.htm
http://americanhistory.si.edu/lighting/history/blotters/blot153.htm
https://oldchristmastreelights.com/the_mazda_lamp_story.htm


 Norman Rockwell (above), Coles Phillips, and Wyeth
https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2018/12/among-other-things-i-discovered-in-art.html  also did advertisement art for Edison Mazda

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