J.T. Kalmar – Kalmar Lighting
Kalmar, an Austrian lighting company, was founded in Vienna by Julius August Kalmar in the 1880s. The company initially produced finely crafted objects in cast bronze, but soon switched its focus to lighting, often collaborating with well-known architects to create stunning cast bronze chandeliers.
In the early 1900s, Kalmar’s son, Julius Theodor, studied under the Austrian architect, designer, and co-founder of the Wiener Werkstätte, Josef Hoffmann, at the Vienna School of Applied Arts and the Birmingham School of Design. Inspired by his time with Hoffmann, Julius Theodor helped usher in a new era for Kalmar, ultimately establishing the company as a maker of vintage and cutting-edge lighting with a high regard for material, form, and function.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Kalmar began producing lighting and decorative glass objects, which led to an increase in demand for Kalmar installations around the world. By the 1990s, Kalmar was a major international brand. Today Kalmar lighting chandeliers and designs are installed for buildings, palaces, museums, and other major institutions around the world.