meet the makers
l i g h t i n g
t h e w a y
and adapting to a changing world
By Leann Harms
With a heritage as unique and extraordinary as the city
in which it was founded, and with more than 150 years of
success, it is easy to see how Phoenix Day has become
rooted in San Francisco’s historical landscape. Founded in
1850 as the Thomas Day Company, a cutlery business, it
soon expanded into plumbing and gas fixtures to keep up
with the then booming industries initiated by the Califor-
nia Gold Rush. This transition was, according to Phoenix
Day’s current owner Anthony Brenta, “a calculated move
to service the growing needs of San Francisco in these var-
ied industries.”
The invention of the incandescent light bulb by Thomas
Edison in the late 1870s prompted yet another reinvention the city by installing lighting, but also rebuilt the company.
for the Thomas Day Company. As Brenta explained, “We It was after this tragedy that Thomas Day’s new owner
realized that becoming an expert in manufacturing lights Joseph Guglielmo, who had bought the company when
using this new electric bulb technology was the direction Thomas Day decided to close its doors, also renamed the
of the future. This was truly an emerging market and the company Phoenix Day as a testament to their commitment
Thomas Day Company wanted to be a part of this market. to rebuilding San Francisco. The new name and logo sym-
The opportunity to put forth elegantly designed fixtures bolized the phoenix rising from its own ashes just as they
would position us for continued growth in both residential envisioned San Francisco recovering from the disaster.
and commercial lighting industries.” With this savvy en- In 1958, Phoenix Day was handed over to Guglielmo’s
trepreneurial spirit, the company cemented its place in San niece and nephew, Pat and Lawrence Fambrini. Together
www
Francisco’s history and became the first to provide fueled they worked to uphold their family legacy by building
street lanterns to the city. on Phoenix Day’s strong foundation and were instrumen-
.designtrade.net
When the earthquake and subsequent fires of 1906 dev- tal in helping the company achieve its current reputation
astated San Francisco forcing the entire city to rebuild, it of excellence.
was hailed as one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. his- Phoenix Day is the sixth-oldest operating business in
tory. The Thomas Day Company rose to the challenge and San Francisco, but don’t be fooled by its age. The company
not only contributed significantly to the reconstruction of is anything but old-fashioned. True to the tradition set
29
PhoenixDay revise.indd 2-3 Form 1.indd 29 6/29/09 3:24 PM7/6/09 3:22 PM
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