The JUMO Model 71 desk lamp has intrigued consumers for decades. Its elegant design, rounded base, tubular shade, and adjustable metal stem made it iconic of post-war French industrial design.
But behind this rational silhouette lies a persistent confusion: the attribution to Eileen Gray, often taken up by auction houses, without any historical basis.
The Model 71 is distinguished by its precise metal construction, usually in gray or black lacquered steel, sometimes enhanced with details in brass or polished aluminum.
- Height: about 40 cm (adjustable)
- Lampshade: oval or flattened cylindrical
- Base: weighted, ribbed, fitted with a chrome rocker switch
- Lighting: two internal sockets (B22 or E14 depending on the version)
Designed for professional use, the lamp combines mechanical rigor and functional sobriety, characteristics of French design from the 1950s and 1960s.
The origins of the JUMO brand
The JUMO company, established in Bagnolet after the Second World War, was founded by Yves Jujeau and the brothers André and Pierre Mounique.
Specializing in articulated desk lamps, it equips design offices, architectural firms and engineering workshops.
The Eileen Gray attribution error
No records, correspondence, or biography of Eileen Gray mention a collaboration with JUMO or the creation of a Model 71.
His known works, furniture for villa E-1027, Bibendum armchair, Deckchair, etc. date from before 1940.
After the war, Gray led a secluded life and ceased all industrial production.
In addition, the electrical and mechanical components of the Model 71 are post-1950, making it impossible to design before that date.
The model therefore belongs fully to the post-war modernist period, and not to the avant-garde movement of the 1930s.
The “Eileen Gray for JUMO” association appeared in the 1990s in the vintage decoration market.
The idea of a link between Gray and JUMO is based on purely aesthetic reasoning: the lamp seemed to correspond to Eileen Gray's rationalist taste.
There is no evidence to support this hypothesis.
Technical and stylistic research led to André Mounique, the brand's engineer-designer.
His mastery of hinges, articulated arms and mechanical counterweights characterizes all JUMO production.
The Model 71 is part of this line: a rational, robust lamp, designed to last, at the crossroads of mechanics and industrial design.
The Tecnolumen reissue
Continued interest in French industrial design has led to the reissue of several JUMO models.
The German company Tecnolumen , which specializes in licensed reissues of historic lighting fixtures (Bauhaus, Wagenfeld, Brandt, etc.), has included a “Jumo 71” version in its catalog that is faithful to the original design.
This contemporary reissue retains the proportions and articulation system of the original model, while meeting current electrical standards.
It allows us to clearly distinguish modern versions from vintage examples produced in Bagnolet in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Market, Copies and Price Disparity
Confusion surrounding Eileen Gray's name has led to a wide range of prices:
- copies “attributed to Eileen Gray”: €700 to over €1,500;
- versions identified simply as “JUMO Model 71”: €150 to €400 depending on condition and provenance.
Copies also circulate, often recognizable by overly smooth powder paint, simplified hinges or approximate proportions.
Authenticity criteria
- Heavy cast steel base, sometimes marked “JUMO”.
- Chrome rocker switch (not plastic).
- Metal arms and axles adjusted without excessive play.
- Patina consistent with past use (neither uniform nor “new”).