Mole-Richardson, also known as Mole, is an American
stage lighting instrument
Stage lighting instruments (lanterns, or luminaires in Europe) are used in stage lighting to illuminate theatrical productions, concerts, and other performances taking place in live performance venues. They are also used to light television st ...
and motion picture lighting manufacturing company originally based in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
,
California. The company was started in 1927 by Italian immigrant Pietro "Peter" Mule (changed to Mole). Born November 10, 1891, in the Italian town of
Termini Imerese,
Sicily, he first worked for General Electric (GE) in New York.
In 1927 he began selling incandescent
tungsten lighting to the film industry, which allowed a more natural lighting than the previous
arc lights. The new lights were also silent, an advantage for the new
sound films.
Mole-Richardson invented the
Fresnel Solar Spot unit in 1935, adapting the
fresnel lighthouse lens for use in motion pictures. It won the first of four technical
Academy Awards the company has earned.
During
World War II, Mole-Richardson concentrated their efforts on developing
searchlights for battleships, tanks and artillery units to aid the Allied Forces' battle in Europe and the Pacific. In 1945, Peter Mole was invited to light the first
United Nations conference held in San Francisco.
Peter Mole died on August 2, 1960, very suddenly. His son-in-law, Warren Parker, took over the company. Mole-Richardson Company LLC is now run by Michael Parker, one of Warren Parker's four sons and grandson of Peter Mole.
Mole-Richardson is considered by many to be the staple of motion picture and television lighting in the movie industry today, setting the standard for tungsten fresnel fixtures. However, they do also manufacture
HMI
HMI may refer to:
Companies and organizations
* Hahn-Meitner-Institut, now Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, a German research institute
* Hanson Musical Instruments, a manufacturer of electric guitars
* Hartz Mountain Industries, an American holding com ...
(Hydrargyrum Medium-arc Iodide) day-light lighting units. Their lighting is generally recognized by their maroon coloring and "MR" logos.
In August 2015, the company moved to
Pacoima neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
In July 2021 the company moved to Sylmar, CA. 15148 Bledsoe St. Unit A, Sylmar, CA 91342.
References
{{reflist
External links
Official websiteStudio Depot - A Mole-Richardson Subsidiary
Photography equipment
Companies based in Los Angeles
1927 establishments in California
American companies established in 1927
Academy Award for Technical Achievement winners