Major Patt 23s

[Louis sullivan]

I have got what looks a bit like a patt 23 profile but it is not. it has got major on the back. does any one know any thing about these? the only ones i know about are the strand ones but i have seen a strand one with furse on the back and a slightly different shape one with a catch to open the back , which the whole thing is blue.

[gareth]

If it's a Pattern 23, it's a Strand. If it isn't a Strand, it isn't a Pattern 23. Simple as that! You wouldn't have seen a Pattern 23 with Furse on the back, because Furse didn't make the Pattern 23.

Furse did make a not-particularly-good 500w profile that borrowed (stole?) a lot of design cues from the Patt.23 - but there were several differences (including the fact that it was nowhere near as good! ). I believe Furse did use the name Major for some of their lanterns, so I'm guessing that's what you have.

A Pattern 23 :


NOT a Pattern 23 (Furse 'copy') :

[Philip L. Edwards]

If memory serves Furse sold rebadged Strand Pattern 23s at one time. Not sure whether before or after their own version shown in the picture.

The Major M5 was roughly the same shape, a little larger, sheet metal construction and gold enamelled.

[chhatton]

If it's a Pattern 23, it's a Strand. If it isn't a Strand, it isn't a Pattern 23. Simple as that! You wouldn't have seen a Pattern 23 with Furse on the back, because Furse didn't make the Pattern 23.

My underdstanding is that Strand licensed Furse (for a fee) to produce versions of the Patt 23, or produced them for them with their branding. These are absolutely identical, but with a Furse logo on the back. I can send you a picture of one if you like!

[b.massey]

Major were one of the uks lighting manufactures during the 50s and 60s. They produced a lantern like the patt 23 but bigger using a 4" lens which was called the M5 .all their products were gold in colour. Furse produced the patt 23 mk1 under licence from strand with the name furse cast into the back again during the 1950s and 60s. with the redesign of the range then then produced a simple spun metal spot with out shutters called the SPR. starting off with a T1 lamp and the lantern coloured bronze. it was then fitted with a T13 lamp and the lantern was medium blue and finally fitted with a T10 lamp and the lantern colour changed to light blue. It used a 4" lens. a narrow version was also produced with a slightly longer lens tube and fitted with a 2" addition lens. the lantern stopped production when the crown range was introduced and the range updated in the late 70s.