The bulb broker - Frances Thaw

The Bulb Broker

The shower area is deep enough not to require a curtain or a door, and a foot-tall splash sill keeps the water in. To prevent water from leaking between the blocks, a paint-on silicone sealer was applied over the grout.Owners are Mary and Ralph Williams.Thaw, who is "over 50,' became an entrepreneur after the importing company where she had worked for 10 years shut down in 1976. That company had imported light bulbs from Osram, a German supplier. Thaw obtained a distributorship from Osram, which welcomed the opportunity to retain a U.S. sales representative.The specialty light blub company, founded 11 years ago by Frances Thaw in Farmingdale, N.Y., stocks and distributes about 15,000 types of bulbs ranging from pinhead size to some standing six to eight feet tall. Prices vary from 8 cents per bulb to as much as $8,000 for a giant searchlight bulb.Photo: Four glass blocks capeach entry light. Bulb-changing door being opened above is framed with 1-by-2s. Ground-level openings facing the walk let cool air in-- and subtle light outImagine a world in which all the light bulbs burn out--not just those in room lights, but also in microscope lamps, operating room fixtures and emergency flashers. That will give you some idea of how essential Bulbtronics' wares are to modern life.Designed by Los Angeles interior designerJim Nisson, each started as a 14-inch-square, 24-inch-high topless plywood box on a concrete base. An outdoor electric floodlight fixture was centered on the base. The box has two openings: a 3- by 8-inch slot low on the sidewalk side to light the walk, and a hinged 5- by 6-inch door in the back for bulb changing.But they're more than lights; they're bigenough to define the walkway and draw guests to it.Plans for Bulbtronics include a West Coast office this year and a subsidiary called OEMlite, specializing in bulb sales to original equipment manufacturers, as Frances Thaw follows her vision of an ever brighter future in the lighting business.

Photo: Frances Thaw has made a specialty of finding just the right bulb for every lighting need through her Farmingdale, N.Y., company, Bulbtronics.

Author: Karla Harby