In Bohemia, classic source of the world's finest crystal, a young man named Adolph Schonbek walked away from the family glassworks to start his own business. The year was 1870. Soon Adolph was manufacturing complete glass chandeliers.
It was the height of the last great era of romance and candlelight. People of means throughout Europe lived opulently in homes richly furnished and lighted by ornate crystal chandeliers. Not surprisingly, Adolph's business flourished.
In London, the Queen's agent ordered Schonbek crystal for Buckingham Palace. In America Schonbek crystal found its way into the White House.
The Hapsburg emperor Francis Joseph I awarded the patent of nobility to a Schonbek ancestor, but the Schonbeks were destined to become citizens of a world beyond emperors.
Adolph Schonbek began a dynasty of crystal chandelier makers that extends to the present day. With each succeeding generation we Schonbeks have made the study of the crystal chandelier in all its forms our life's work.
World wars and trade wars came and went, and Arnold Schonbek, Adolph's grandson, lost his factories first to the Nazis, then to the Communists. In a secret escape from a tumultuous Europe, Arnold re-established his company in Montreal and eventually moved the headquarters to the United States.
Through it all, Schonbek has maintained its European heritage - so much so that today Schonbek Crystal Chandelier designs are imitated (however imperfectly) all over the world.
We believe that the great moments of history should resonate in a crystal chandelier. No one is more conscious of the proper curve of an arm for a Versailles-style chandelier, or the most appropriate crystal trim to recall the Austrian empire. Such designs have been in the Schonbek family for generations.
At the same time, we are constantly reinterpreting the past - because ours is a living art, not an exercise in sterile reproduction.
Our family's intimate knowledge of classic crystal has enabled us to create many innovations that have since become traditions. Recently Schonbek Lighting has pioneered a new era of contemporary design by inventing new ways to attach and display crystal.
But even with contemporary pieces, the hand of history is evident in the lavish use of crystal and sophistication of technique.
If it's a Schonbek, you can feel confident of the heirloom quality and investment value of your crystal chandelier.
Other purveyors of fine lighting products on the Internet include the following:
ChandelierForum - A respected leader in commercial and residential designer lighting products.
Outdoor Lighting Forum - A collection of quality lighting products for outside the home.