Reclassification of POLLICE ILLUMINAZIONE/FIVEP/FIDENZA VETRARIA products

[GabryJ84]

Hi everybody!

I've just returned from an afternoon talk with Marco Pollice, the heir of Ugo Pollice, the creator of POLLICE ILLUMINAZIONE. Although all of the company blueprints have been scrapped, Mr Pollice, who still runs a spinoff of POLLICE ILLUMINAZIONE (a lighting design - no production - studio based in Milan), allowed me to dig into the archive and I have been able to find some POLLICE catalogues spanning from the '60 to the late '80 (after FIVEP creation).

I am thus able to reclassify all of the POLLICE and FIVEP products in the PhozAgora database and some of the FIDENZA VETRARIA, the ones that survived the FIVEP era.

I will put together all of the scans that Mr. Pollice allowed me to do and send to PhozAgora so he can upload them to the GDrive. Mr Pollice has also been informed of the existence of this website although I doubt he will come here since he said that he is not a computer-expert.

Let's begin with POLLICE ILLUMINAZIONE: There are no catalogues prior to the '60 (Mr. Pollice said that he will search if there are any left, but he is in the process of re-structuring some of his working space and he's thus confined all of his archive in a basement. Anyway this is not the only time I'll go there, so if there is something, it will be found.

The '60 catalogue contains lots of models which had been ousted in the '70 version. I will refer to this catalogue only should I find elements present in the PhozAgora Database.

The '70 and '80 version of the catalogue contains nearly all of the models that survived untill Fivep was created and are almost all of the models present in PhozAgora but with different names, classifications. They are referred to and corrected below, beginning with the ones aready assigned to POLLICE:

- Andromeda (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Andromeda): the name is INCORRECT. This lantern name is M400B. It has this name, because POLLICE was the italian producer for GE lanterns and in his catalogues can be found models M250R and M400A. It was designed by Joe Colombo for POLLICE ILLUMINAZIONE and, despite the name, has nothing to do with the American series.

- Carena (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Carena): in this case the model name is Correct, but there are 2 Carena: Carena 1 (125-250W) and Carena 2 (250-400W)

- Cometa (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Pollicecometa): in this case the model name is Correct, but there are 2 Cometa: Cometa 1 (125-250W) and Cometa 2 (250-400W)

- Milano (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Milano): I have no evidence of this lantern, at least in the '70 catalog. I will ask Mr. Pollice if he recognises this one, since he told me that in these times, they were developing lanterns for specific towns, which did not necessarily resulted in their catalogues as they were "exclusives" for that particular town. I believe it can be kept here untill further clarifications.

- Universo (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Universo): this is the most incorrect, since it joined two different lantern types. Universo is the successor of Andromeda (not the wrongly labelled M400B) and the whole product line goes as follows: POLLICE ANDROMEDA 2 corresponds to Fivep Universo 3 (PhozAgora db), POLLICE ANDROMEDA 1 corresponds to Fivep Universo 2 v.1 (PhozAgora db), POLLICE UNIVERSO 1 corresponds to Fivep Universo 1 (PhozAgora db), POLLICE UNIVERSO 2 corresponds to Fivep Universo 2 (PhozAgora db). Of all of these products there is proof.

- Benzinaio (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Benzinaio): this model's name is TITANO/B and it is the smaller version of a lantern (Unknown_Poligono), which will be described further on.

- Fiamifera (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Fiamifera): this model's name is GIUNCO.

- Gargano (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Gargano): this model's name is POLLUCE. (yes, with an U)

Now, let's go to model which are not in the category they belong to:

- Tam Tam (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Tamtam): this is NOT a Disano Lantern, this is a POLLICE Lantern and is named LOW MOUNT. It has been designed by General Electric and licensed to POLLICE. This lantern has been produced for a limited period of time '80-1987 because when FIVEP was made, the partnership with GE has been terminated and no more GE lanterns could be produced by FIVEP.

- Grechi BP 66 (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_BP66): the first version, BP66 (GM), is not a Grechi Lantern, but it is a POLLICE lantern and is named HELIOS.

- AEC Roma (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Aecroma): I don't know how this lantern has been certified as being AEC ROMA, but based on the Pollice catalog, it is NOT. It's name is POLLICE 210 and there are different versions of it, depending on the material of the gown (polycarbonate/glass) and the size of it.

- Grechi Platinar petit (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Platinar): the "petit modele", it is not a Grechi lantern, but it is POLLICE 5408

- Lanzini Sole (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Sole): this is not a Lanzini lantern, but it is FIVEP and is called POLO (on 1987 catalogue). Since the same problem is present with Lanzini LUX (Fidenza Vetraria Ariete), I will contact Lanzini about this issue.

Let's move further on, with the unknown ones:

- Poligono (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Poligono): this lantern is a POLLICE TITANO, featuring a double lamp. It is the big brother of the aforementioned TITANO/B (Benzinaio in the PhozAgora db)

- Lumaliana (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Lumaliana): this lantern is a POLLICE COLUMBA.

- Lumpicche (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Lumpicche): this lantern is a POLLICE 5378 (with GOWN 5380)

- Capellino (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Capellino): this lantern is a POLLICE 5082 but only version 2. Version 1 still Unknown.

Let's come to the FIVEP lanterns which should be moved to FIDENZA VETRARIA since they existed before FIVEP creation:

- Area (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Fvarea): this lantern was born as FIDENZA VETRARIA AREA and there were various versions, divided into categories, AREA and AREA 1.

- Portofino (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Fiveportofino): this lantern was born as FIDENZA VETRARIA.

- Viareggio (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Fivepviareggio): this lantern was born as FIDENZA VETRARIA.

And, last but not least, the FIDENZA VETRARIA part: this is obviously lacking all the models that came prior to FIVEP (Mr Pollice does not have any FIDENZA VETRARIA catalogues, but will help me with his connections, to find what is left.

- Nova (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Nova): Nova 1 becomes NOVA 11, Nova 2, becomes NOVA 21 (NOVA 12 and NOVA 22 with double insulation)

- Ariete (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Ariete): Ariete 21 becomes ARIETE 11, Ariete 31 becomes ARIETE 21 (ARIETE 12 and ARIETE 22 with double insulation). in 1987 FIVEP catalogue there is no trace of the small version. I don't even know if it was called ARIETE before FIVEP creation.

- Apollo (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Fivepapollo): As said in another post, there are two versions: APOLLO 11 (90W SOX) and APOLLO 21 (135W SOX) (again 12 and 22 with double insulation)

- Antares (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Antares): same scheme as before: ANTARES 11 is Version 1 petit, ANTARES 12 is Version 1 grand (same 12/22 thing). There is no Version 2 model in 1987. I don't know if because it was axed or other reasons.

- Galassia (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Galassia): the model name is GALASSIA 11 (12)

- Cosmos (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Cosmos): the model name is COSMOS 11 (12).

- Polaris (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Polaris): I don't know if it is because of some previously purged products, but, regarding the Pole Mounted lanterns, the only POLARIS present in the FIVEP catalogue in 1987 is what seems to correspond to Polaris B/C in PhozAgora DB (you have labelled them B and C but to me they seem the same lantern), which is named POLARIS 11 (12). No traces of Polaris A and D, which I believe are early versions of Polaris, axed from the catalogues. It does not get better when talking about the suspended version. In 1987, the sole version present is POLARIS 11S (12S) which correspond to Polaris suspendue Version 1 in Phozagora database. I have been able to spot and witness a Version 2 and 3 and what I suspect is that the last produced units, used, as economies of scale, the same ballast container as the Antares, both big and small. There is, however, no proof on the catalogues. I will ask Mr Pollice if he has a newer catalogue, after 1990.

- Tiros (http://phozagora.free.fr/?page=Lanterne_Tiros): Same as for Polaris: the only version in 1987 is TIROS 11 (12) which corresponds to Tiros 1 appareillage droit and TIROS 11S (12S) which is reported correctly. No signs of Tiros 2 or Tiros 1 with curved ballast. Again: axed products or wrong producer? There is also a no-ballast version of TIROS which, curiously, is pictured but not reported in product range table.

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This is everything that results from a first analysis of the catalogues joined with the experience of Mr. Pollice. More catalogues are to come and especially for the suspended Unknown, there are some models that might be identified too.

As soon as I can I will send to you all of the catalogues, but I will specify which can be published and which should NOT, as I just saw that there is one that has mis-scanned pages (the scanner cut 2 or 3 pages), and should be re-scanned. When perfect, it will be uploadable as well.

In the meantime, thanks for all.
Gabriel