Modeline of California

Nick Farrell's 'Modeline of California: Pioneer of Modern Lighting' reconstructs the history of Modeline, the midcentury company that defined a modern style of lighting from the 1940s through the 1970s.

Farrell combines archival research, interviews, and dealer knowledge to correct misattributions and restore credit to designers behind biomorphic minimalist lamps.

The book traces the company's origins, key designers like Arthur Jacobs and Jack Haywood, and its business practices and product innovations.

It also explains how corporate consolidation and conglomerate takeovers in the 1970s and 1980s led to the decline of independent creative lighting manufacturers.

The work serves both as a historical study and a practical reference for collectors and restorers of midcentury lighting.