Hideous Looking Fluorescent Light Fixtures

kt88seamp

http://www.fotosearch.com/clt004/ks2078/

I was looking through some stock images and found the photo in the link. I couldn't help but notice those lights on the ceiling. They look so ugly! I ate at a McDonald's that had those exact same type of fixtures, and they looked so gross I couldn't eat. You might be wondering why am mentioning this, but I couldn't resist, as I have a small interest in light fixture fashions. I also had a classroom with those things in it too. They were wired neatly too. Since they are huge, they had I think 4 ballasts in them each controlling two bulbs. The classroom had four light switches that each controlled a ballast, so it was like four lights in one.

What era are those things predominately from? The 60s?

Are they still used at all today in some places, or are they simply outdated?

Who made those things?

localroger

Those look like pretty ordinary surface-mount flourescent fixtures, the kind you'd use on a solid ceiling. Hideous and flourescent pretty much go together but when you can't recess the fixture because it's not a drop-tile ceiling, this is pretty much what you get, flat rectangles about 4 feet by 1.5 feet to accommodate 4 flourescent bulbs.