The Italian-made 5kW spotlight is one of more than a dozen studio lights which have lit up the faces of presenters at Television New Zealand and NHNZ's Dunedin studios during the past 50 years, and next week they will all go up for auction at Hayward's Auction House.
For those thinking life in midwinter Dunedin is a little dull and dreary, the Pollux lamp may not be a solution. At 5kW, it has no place in a typical New Zealand home. It is capable of drowning a living room in 50 times more light than a standard household lightbulb.
Hayward's auctioneer Kevin Hayward said the lamps would be better suited and more useful in drama theatres, school halls or in the hands of amateur film-makers.
The lights have been used on programmes such as Spot On and Play School which were filmed in Dunedin during the 1970s and 1980s.
Mr Hayward said the lighting still worked and came with rigging and spare bulbs.
"In its day, it would have been worth tens of thousands of dollars. It's probably still worth thousands now."
Lighting equipment from Lindsay McLeod Photography would also be auctioned next Wednesday, along with chattels from the Provincial Hotel including tables, chairs, glasses and refrigeration equipment.
