Pacific Coastal Art TV Lamp-California,circa 1960s

Made and sold by The Shell Shop in San Luis Obispo County, California during the 1960s.

The Shell Shop was established in 1955 in the Morro Bay area of Central Coastal California. In July 1964, Morro Bay was incorporated as a city in California and quickly the sleepy town of 1700 people became a beautiful Pacific Coast tourist destination. The town also grew to 4,000 people by the end of 1969. Now…around 11,000.

The Shell Shop is owned and operated by the Thomas family,and has been for the last 70 years. As of 2024, The Shell Shop is still in business. Being the first gift shop in Morro Bay, The Shell Shop has been a Pacific Coast tourist stop for finding everything coastal for souvenirs, gifts and home decor. Items such as Marine Sea Shells,Shell Handicrafts, Shell Jewelry, Shell Wind Chimes, Collector's Specimens,
Shell Night Lights and Decorative Corals.

Abalone is an edible sea snail that has about 30 different species . California’s coast line boasts 7 of the primary species of Abalone; Red, Green, Pink, Pinto, White, Black and Flat.
This lamp is made with the Red Abalone shell. The red is one of the rarest and largest of the Pacific Coast species of Abalone . This lamps shell is actually 8.25 inches long. With one of the five ventilation holes closed this would have been a full grown and mature Abalone at its demise. Red abalone are one of the few species of Abalone that has an underside that is iridescent and pearly colors. These colors are made inside on the shell from the various colors of algae in their diet.
As of 2024, the red abalone are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to declining populations from factors like overfishing, withering syndrome, kelp forest loss, warming ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification. The recreational red abalone fishery in Northern California, a long-time recreational fishing spot, was closed in 2018 and extended to 2026 due to these population declines. Globally, there 20 other species of abalone that are critically endangered.
The front bulb deflector is the top shell of young black abalone. It measures 4-15/16” and is polished.
The lanp was simply constructed with the 3 shells rigged with a Leviton(USA) power cord with a Alcor On/Off “twist” switch.
Comes with new clear bulb only. (E12)
Works great
Weighs 3 pounds 2 ounces

ABALONE FACTS :
Abalone blood is blue-green and lacks sufficient blood-clotting mechanisms, meaning a deep injury can be fatal.

In California, fishing for black abalone has been illegal since 1993.

MORRO BAY INTERESTING HISTORY:

During World War II, a U.S. Navy base, Amphibious Training Base Morro Bay, was on the north side of Morro Rock, where sailors were trained to operate Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel or LCVPs. The breakwater on the southwest side of the rock was built in 1944–45 to protect the LCVPs entering and leaving the harbor. Soldiers from Camp San Luis Obispo came to Morro Bay and practice loading into the LCVPs. Many of those men were at Normandy on D-Day.

The 2002 crime thriller movie “Murder by Numbers” starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Gosling was filmed on the Morro Bay Embarcadero, as well as in Los Osos and San Luis Obispo.


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