Original Lowel hotsell lighting kit Own a piece of imaging history! Truly special

It could be argued that no individual person has had a more significant impact on the lighting industry as it relates to imaging than Ross Lowel. Ross Lowell was born on 10 July 1926 in New York City. He started his career as a photographer in the US Navy during World War II. In 1948, Lowell decided to study cinematography at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles). Fresh from school, he started to work in the film and television industries. As a director and cinematographer, Ross Lowell worked on dozens of documentaries, short films, and TV commercials. In 1980, Lowell won an Academy Award for Technical Achievement for his compact lighting system. The same year, his short film called "Oh Brother, My Brother" was nominated for the Oscar in the Best Short Film category. To share his knowledge, he wrote a book about lighting in 1992: "Matters of Light and Depth." Ross Lowell was more than an artist and technician.
At the end of the 50s, documentary director Stephen E. Fleischman asked Ross Lowell to create a lightweight and discreet lighting system for a TV show. Then, Lowell imagined an articulated ball-and-clamp system to attach an RFL bulb. There was a metal plate on the back of the light so that he could attach it to any surface, whether it was permanent or not. The first Lowel-Light was born. Moreover, he also decided to create a special tape to attach the light. The idea was to create a video that could stay in place for a long time without leaving any residue when removed. Lowell got inspired by Johnson & Johnson's heating ducts. He combined it with some Permacel adhesive, a tape that is easy to cut by hand. The result is something we use daily to fix nearly everything on-set: gaffer tape. Ross Lowell founded Lowel-Light and developed a complete range of halogen fixtures and accessories, including the Tota-Light, Omni-Light, DP Light, and so on.

In 1976, John Alcott, BSC, the DP from Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon," was asked what lighting equipment he used. His answer helped Lowel-Light take-off. Lowel-Light continues to grow with years and evolve following the technological evolutions: fluorescent lights, LED lights… with many accessories to make filmmakers' life more comfortable. This is the original Lowel light kit designed by Lowel in 1959 for use in his film work. This is the light his company started with. One of Lowel's early uses for Gaffers tape was, among other things, to secure these very fixtures to a flat service. The original tape up, nail-up, hang up light fixture helped usher in the on-location shooting method of hotsell filmmaking we take for granted today. Most films, especially those made in New York City... used these fixtures. They set up fast and can be affixed to almost anything. Gaffers loved them! The bulbs used are the standard R-40 reflector lamps, often referred to as an EAL, which is the lamp code. They are still available today for around $10 - $12. They are 500 watts and their color Temp is 3200K.

You are getting five fixtures, two Lowel-light barn doors, 4 barndoor leaves, an original 12-yard roll of Gaffer-tape, the original Lowel carrying case, and original sales brochure. This little kit would be made a perfect addition to any cine or professional photographic collection. We feel that the kit is honestly a modern historical artifact. Made right here in America. They will last forever. No lamps are included in this sale. Why not add it to your collection today.