09 Feb Pioneer in Outdoor lighting, Bill Locklin of Nightscaping dies at 86 on Dec. 17th 2007
By Mike Gambino
It has been just over 10 years since the pioneer of Low Voltage landscape and Garden lighting, Bill Locklin, of Loran Nightscaping, Redlands, California passed away. Today there are a lot of new comers to the business of low voltage landscape lighting who don’t even know who Bill is or what he did. Never heard of him is what they will say and I think that’s a shame. My friend, Colleague and co-author Mark Carlson of Avalon Lighting Design often laments over the fact that the history of this landscape lighting industry must be preserved or it will be lost forever with the passage of time and he is absolutely right.
Together we made a major effort to preserve and educate in 2013 when Mark and I co-authored and self published the great work of Frank B. Nightingale “The original Garden Lighting Book”. We included the text and line drawings of the Garden lighting portion of the book in its entirety and added our own commentary as a wrap around update and enhancement to this fantastic and still relevant piece of literature. Nightingale predated Locklin by several years and is known to be the first to have the idea of placing lights out of doors to illuminate gardens for weddings, garden parties and special events. Many of his clients were major Hollywood celebrities of their time and wealthy property owners. The major difference between Nightingale and Locklin was that Nightingale used 120 volt current (the same standard electrical current that powers our homes). Locklin used step down transformers that utilized 1/10th the amount of power, 12 volts, saving electricity and making it safer and more economical to operate. This also made the installation of system less encumbered by way of less scrutiny from most municipalities with electrical codes that do not require permits or electrical inspections for low voltage (12 volt) garden lighting.
So in the spirit of preserving and educating, I bring you some background info and an article from 2007 announcing the death of Locklin which does a basic but pretty good job of mentioning many of his accomplishments.
A HOBBY GONE “OUT OF CONTROL”
Before there was Nightscaping® Bill Locklin was a Redlands, California electrical contractor who specialized in agricultural electrical services and maintenance. In his spare time he would experiment with 12-volt lighting powered by automobile batteries and headlight lamps to see what kind of effects could be created with this more efficient light source. This hobby earned him a call from a client who wanted outdoor landscape lighting for his home. Locklin learned this client was expecting some very special guests and the lighting had to be completed before their arrival.
Locklin immediately went to work devising a plan. He began designing inconspicuous outdoor fixtures from mayonnaise jars, painted coffee and fruit juice cans, automobile lamps and 12-volt batteries. He improvised and experimented. He invented low-voltage landscape lighting and coined his lighting motto, “See the effect and not the source.”
The client was so impressed by the professional lighting system Locklin had provided on such short notice he invited Locklin to meet his special guests, President Eisenhower and his wife, First Lady Maime Eisenhower. This chance meeting resulted in another lighting job for Locklin. The president himself wanted a lighting installation at his vacation retreat for an upcoming event.
The installation for Eisenhower was such a success that the politicians, foreign dignitaries and social elites who attended the event wanted this kind of lighting for their homes. Thus Nightscaping®, Locklin’s landscape lighting manufacturing company, was born.
The success of his hobby that as he says, “got out of hand,” motivated Locklin to further his industry and craft. He continued doing lighting installations for everyone from the Sultan of Brunei, the CEO of Honda Motors, and all of the Mrs. Joneses living on your street U.S.A. As others in his industry began to more fully understand the lighting ideas, moreover the business he pioneered, competition began to infiltrate his market. Locklin was inspired. His creation that had sprung forth from the bottom of a coffee can was revolutionizing the landscaping industry.
By REDLANDS DAILY FACTS | redlands@dfmdev.com |
December 23, 2007
Bill Locklin
REDLANDS – William J. “Bill” Locklin, founder and president of Redlands-based Nightscaping outdoor lighting business and “father” of 12-volt outdoor lighting, died Dec. 17 at his home in Redlands, after a yearlong illness with cancer. He was 86.
Locklin was also an orange grower and co-owner of Redlands’ El Camino horse ranch.
He was born in 1921 in Alhambra and was raised as an orphan in Lucerne before moving to Colton to attend high school.
He served as a chief electrician with the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Trepang submarine during World War II, earning a Bronze Star for action in the Pacific.
After the war, he returned to Colton and was a member of the Colton City Council for several years.
He settled in Redlands in 1953 and established Locklin Electric, doing interior electrical work and doing favors for customers who wanted lighting to show off their landscaping.
His first exterior lighting job was at a Palm Springs church, to welcome Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower to a service.
The Nightscaping trademark was registered June 2, 1964, and in the Christmas season of 1964 Nightscaping was used to decorate the outdoor tree at the White House.
Later, President Richard Nixon and his wife, Pat, used Nightscaping in the landscaping of their “Western White House” in San Clement.
During the 1950s and ’60s, Locklin also ran the lighting for Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival programs.
In 1987 he returned to Washington, D.C., where he lit the pathways in the park around the White House Christmas tree.
He was selected to light the Moving Wall, a half-size traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, when it was in Sylvan Park in Redlands this year in June, and before that when it was at Riverside National Cemetery.
Locklin provided the lighting for the structure in Ed Hales Park in downtown Redlands and at one time had also provided lighting for State Street.
His designed lighting plans for homes and businesses all over the world, often designing new fixtures to meet his customers’ needs.
Locklin was active in community organizations, including contributing to the Boys & Girls Club of Redlands and providing workers and lighting in the building of the Assistance League of Redlands’ dental clinic this year.
He supported landscape architecture students at Cal Poly Pomona and provided scholarships for the American Society of Landscape Architects Foundation.
He hired people with developmental disabilities and was the businessman who was there for many people in need, his family said. He also donated building space to Mexican Christian Children’s Aid, an organization that collects goods and takes them to Mexico.
He was generous to landscape architecture students at Cal Poly and he was inspirational to many young people who made careers in landscape lighting.
“The Boys & Girls Club of Redlands probably exists because of his contributions to it,”.
El Camino horse ranch, which Locklin owned with his wife, many children’s dreams were realized there when they took riding lessons.
Locklin had been active in several churches in Redlands throughout his life, including Presbyterian, Methodist, Bethany Reformed, Redlands Christian Center and the Packinghouse Church.
He was a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects; the National Electrical Contractors Association and its National Educational Council; and the Illuminating Engineering Society of America. Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, at the Packinghouse Church, 27165 W. San Bernardino Ave., Redlands, with a reception afterwards at the Locklin home in Redlands.
This landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all
rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 27 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.Gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .
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