Updated 05-I-2024

Industrial Journals
This section comprises a selection of periodicals which until recently, used to be issued at frequent intervals by each of the main light source manufacturers to detail their latest developments, feature new installations and ultimately promote sales. Please click on the relevant link below to download the document of interest. Adobe Acrobat reader is required to view all documents as PDF files. Certain documents are not in the author's posession, and digital copies have been kindly provided by other individuals. These are denoted by a numerical reference after the document title, and summarised in the list below:
1 Olav Kettner
Mazda House News, UK
First published by the British Thomson-Houston Company in October 1913, "Mazda House News" was a short-lived magazine for the electrical trade whose lifespan was cut short by the outbreak of war less than a year after its launch. At that time, BTH was a wholly owned subsidiary of General Electric of America and the similarities in advertising material between the two companies are quite striking. The magazine is named after the company headquarters at Mazda House, 77 Upper Thames Street, London EC.
No.3 - 1913 Dec No.4 - 1914 Jan No.5 - 1914 Feb No.6 - 1914 Mar No.7 - 1914 May No.8 - 1914 Jul


The Outshining Light, UK
Published by the British Thomson-Houston Company and later by its successor Associated Electrical Industries, "The Outshining Light" was an occasional journal covering new developments in Mazda lamps and lighting equipment and their applications.
Vol2 No1 - 1952 Vol2 No2 - 1953 Vol2 No4 - 1954 Vol3 No1 - 1955 Vol3 No4 - 1956 Vol4 No1 - 1957
Vol4 No1 - 1957


Thorn Lighting Journal, UK
From the late 1960s until the 1990s, Thorn published a popular journal featuring many of the company's new product developments as well as selected lighting installations, and technical papers contributed by its staff. A selection of issues are reproduced here with the kind permission of Hugh King and Paul Stranks at Thorn Lighting.
No.2 - 1969 Q2 No.3 - 1969 Q3 No.6 - 1971 Q1 No.8 - 1972 Q1 No.9 - 1972 Q3 No.10 - 1972 Q1
No.11 - 1973 Q3 No.14 - 1975 Q3 No.15 - 1976 Q1 No.16 - 1976 Q3 No.17 - 1977 Q1 No.18 - 1977 Q4
No.20 - 1979 Q1 No.21 - 1979 Q3 No.22 - 1980 Q1 No.25 - 1982 Q2 No.26 - 1983 Q4 No.28 - 1986 Q2
No.29 - 1979 Q1 No.32 - 1979 Q3 No.33 - 1980 Q1 No.34 - 1982 Q2


Thorn Lighting News, UK
Thorn Lighting News made its first appearance in 1987, and was primarily intended for the company's employees. It superseded the earlier Headline newsletter and factory-based publications such as the Leicester Lamplighter, and provides a rich source of historic information on the company's new product introductions and expansion.
No.2 - 1987 Jul No.3 - 1987 Sep No.9 - 1989 Mar No.10 - 1989 Jun 1989 Nov 1989 Dec
1990 Apr 1990 Q2 1990 Q3 1990 Q4


The GE Lampmaker
The GE Lampmaker was an occasional newsletter, primarily issued for internal company communications.
1948 Dec 1950 Feb 1952 Oct 1948 Dec 1954 Aug 1954 Oct


GE Magazine of Light, USA
The Magazine of Light, later Light Magazine, was introduced by Theodore W. Frech of General Electric of America in 1923 and continued in print for five decades until 1973. It was primarily intended as a customer journal to introduce new products and illustrate their applications, as well as containing a wealth of educational material for lighting designers.
1943 No.5 1944 No.6 1945 No.2 1946 No.5 1947 No.1 1948 No.3
1948 No.4 1965 No.2 1965 No.3 1966 No.2 1966 No.4 1967 No.3
1968 No.1 1969 No.1&2


The Sylvania Beam
The Sylvania Beam was an internal publication that served as an employee newsletter. It provides a rich source of historic information on the company's new product introductions and expansion.
1946 Nov 1947 Mar


Philips Revue Lumière
A customer-oriented publication of Philips Lighting France, to introduce new products and illustrate their applications.
No.31 - 1959 Dec1 No.36 - 1962 Feb1 No.41 - 1963 Jun1


Mazda Contact
A long-running publication of the French Compagnie des Lampes, formerly Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston (CFTH) and Compagnie Générale d'Électricité (CGE), which traded under the American Mazda brand due to its ownership by Thomson-Houston and General Electric of USA. The journal is believed to have made its debut in the 1930s, and ran until the 1970s when French Mazda became fully absorbed into the Dutch Philips organisation.
No.29 - 1953 Mar No.58 - 1959 Jun No.61 - 1959 Dec No.71 - 1961 Sep No.72 - 1962 Oct No.75 - 1962 Apr
No.76 - 1962 Jun No.77 - 1962 Sep No.82 - 1963 Jun No.83 - 1963 Oct No.84 - 1963 Dec No.86 - 1964 Apr
No.87 - 1964 Jun No.90 - 1965 Feb No.93 - 1965 Oct1 No.95 - 1965 Dec No.96 - 1966 Apr No.97 - 1966 Jun
No.101 - 1967 Apr No.102 - 1967 Jun No.121 - 1971 Feb No.122 - 1971 Apr No.123 - 1971 Jul No.128 - 1972Sep
No.130 - 1973 Feb