top of page

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY :

 

Herbert Terry Anglepoise two step lamp design 1227 in excellent refurbished condition.

 

This great looking and iconic lamp has been overhauled and the flaking paint removed.

It has been rewired with three core insulated black cable. The base and bottom springs have been stripped and  plated and the rest of the body arms and shade have been lightly buffed.

A new switched chrome lampholder has been installed.

Circa 1960's this anglepoise has the top vented shade.

 

These fantastic lamps are British quality from a bygone era, amazingly versatile with countless combinations of angles and positions. For use pretty much anywhere in the home, office or workshop. 

 

SIZE : Base 150mm x 150mm , lower arm 380 long, upper arm 310mm, stands approx 900mm high when fully extended.

 

CONDITION : Overall very good vintage working condition.

 

 

The Anglepoise lamp was designed by George Carwardine (1887–1948), an automotive engineer who owned a factory in Bath that developed vehicle suspension systems. He loved to tinker in his workshop and especially enjoyed developing different types of springs. During these experiments, Carwardine designed a new type of spring which could be moved easily in every direction yet could also remain rigid when held in position. He patented his spring design on 7 July 1932 and set about finding an application for it.

 

Carwardine eventually found a suitable use for his spring – a lamp, which, supported and balanced by a sequence of springs, could be constantly repositioned to focus the light in specific directions. Inspired by the constant tension principle of human limbs, Carwardine developed a lamp that could be both flexible and stable, like a human arm. He designed a heavy base to stabilise the lamp, and a shade that could concentrate the beam on specific points without causing dazzle. This focused beam enabled the lamp to consume less electricity than existing models. Carwardine thought it would be useful for the workmen in his factory to illuminate particular components or parts of suspension systems, but he soon realised that it would be equally suitable for illuminating the papers and books lying on office desks.

 

Having finalised his design, Carwardine decided to license it to Herbert Terry & Sons, a manufacturer based at Redditch in Worcestershire, which supplied springs to his factory. The company was then run by Charles Terry, the eldest son of its founder Herbert. Determined to expand the business, Charles Terry was keen to diversify by applying its expertise in springs to new products. He personally signed the licensing agreement for Carwardine’s lamp.

 

Carwardine intended to call his lamp the Equipoise but the name was rejected by the Trade Marks Registry at the Patent Office on the grounds that 'equipoise' was an existing word, and they settled on Anglepoise. The first version of the Anglepoise lamp, the 1208, was produced by Terry in 1934 with four springs. It proved so popular that two years later Terry introduced a domestic version, the 1227, with three springs and an Art Deco-inspired three-tier base, which looked more stylish than the single-tier base of the 1208.

 

Terry publicised the Anglepoise by emphasising both the precision with which its beam could be focused on a particular area and its energy-saving potential. One of the benefits of the 1227 is that it worked perfectly with an inexpensive 25 watt bulb, which Terry’s advertising claimed was as efficient in the Anglepoise as a 60 watt bulb would be in another lamp.

 

Three years later, Terry introduced a new version of the 1227 with a two-tier base and a wider shade, which was capable of taking a 40 watt bulb. This model remained in production for over 30 years and is still widely regarded as the archetypal Anglepoise, even though the design has since been modified. The 1969 Anglepoise Model 75 sported a round base and a fluted shade held in place by a swivel ball. The 1989 Anglepoise Apex 90 refined the design of the Model 75 by adopting a modular jointing system for easy assembly.

 

In 2003, Terry commissioned the product designer Kenneth Grange (1929–) to revise the original Anglepoise 1227 into the Anglepoise Type 3, notably by adding a double skin shade that can take a 100 watt bulb. The following year, Terry invited Grange to revise the design of the Model 75, which he did in the Anglepoise Type 75 – a lamp that still bears a distinct resemblance to the prototype designed by George Carawardine over 70 years before.

 

 

Vintage Herbert Terry Anglepoise Desk Lamp

$585.00Price
Out of Stock
  • Please note that the price shown excludes postage and NZ gst tax calculated at 15% of the total. These are shown during the checkout process. Thank you.

bottom of page