I’m very excited to offer for your consideration this WAYYYYY awesome 1950’s atomic pull-down chandelier by Virden!

This fixture wholly embodies mid 50’s style, an era of wild modernity. It is a playful, yet, elegant fixture.

This exact model is pictured in the 1956 Virden Lighting catalog, of which I own an original copy. I LOVE when I am able to offer original catalog images and descriptions to my listings. While mostly worn away, enough of the manufacturers tag still remains affixed to the inside of the canopy to be identifiable as a Virden tag by those who know what it “should” look like in more complete form.

The finish on this fixture is, I think, mostly untouched, and I have only gently cleaned it since having made its way to my ownership, leaving the nicely aged, as found patina. For not having been polished or buffed to death, it still retains a high sheen, and shows very well. I love how the perforations in the “globes” beneath the large saucer/reflector throw light onto the walls and floor below. The white painted finish on the insides of the globes is also original, and in good vintage condition, with only very minor wear and scuffing, while the white painted finish on the underside of the saucer/reflector remains in fabulous condition. The original glass lenses are in similarly fantastic condition. I love their stippled texture - it diffuses light quite nicely.

The metal components of this piece are free of considerable/egregious flaws, age appropriate wear excluded. The exterior of each of the perforated globes sports very subtle scuffing, and one in particular shows a bit more aged patina on its bottom rim than the other two upon close inspection, but this is not readily obvious unless you are specifically looking for it. As thin gauge as they are, and delicate on account of their perforations, I am not confident that they would survive an encounter with a buffing wheel. The black painted metal cylinder which houses the bottom most pieces of the retraction mechanism, but above the saucer, shows a bit of wear, as pictured.

This is not the most typically seen version of a mid century pull down fixture, with a cloth cord and a bulky diamond shaped cord housing midway down the drop of the piece. The retraction mechanism is actually housed inside the canopy, resulting in a cleaner-lined look. The coiled wire is original and in fine shape, although the black color of the rubber coating has aged more in some places than others. It is solid and still supple/flexible, and shows no indication of any “crumbliness” (for lack of a better word) that some mid century era wire is known to do over time.

The action on the retracting mechanism itself works surprisingly well, and it is fun to use! For the sake of preserving its longevity, I would not recommend pulling this up and down on a regular basis, but rather to experiment a bit after installation to find an ideal drop height in your home and leave it there, only showing off its ability to come up or down to guests, who will undoubtedly be charmed and wowed.

There is no way for me to guarantee that the pull down feature of this piece will continue to work as intended in perpetuity, which is why, as a lighting restoration professional, I strongly recommend that it not be “played” with on a regular basis.

If you’ve been looking for something FUN for your mid century lounge or dining room, this fixture might just be the one! Fixtures such as this are not offered for sale on the open market that frequently with solid attribution and in good vintage condition. Don’t miss this one!

This scale of this fixture is ideal for just about any medium sized room, measuring about 20 inches wide at the rim of the saucer, with an adjustable length varying from approximately 24” at its shortest to 57” at its longest, as indicated by the original catalog description.

The original wiring to the center cluster is also original, and in pristine, mint condition - even retaining original porcelain wire nut connectors. I opened the bottom cluster up planning on having to rewire, but there was absolutely no need to do so. It looks brand new “under the hood” on this piece. The porcelain bulb sockets are also original.

This fixture does not require a mounting bar, as the slots by which one would affix this to a junction box are built into the pull-down mechanism housed inside the canopy. No additional hardware *should* be needed to hang this, under typical installation conditions. Light bulbs are not included. I recommend 60W equivalent LED’s.

I only ship via UPS ground. I have had excellent luck shipping delicate and large boxes with them over the course of many years - USPS and FEDEX not so much.

I would also welcome a pickup or a meet & exchange in the Midwest, as this piece would require a box much larger than most vintage lights I ship out. Please reach out BEFORE purchasing if this option appeals to you, so that we can talk through some logistics before the completion of the transaction.

Please feel free to message with any questions you may have before making a purchase.