Herbert Terry Original 1227 Anglepoise Lamp, Circa 1938
Herbert Terry Original 1227 Anglepoise Lamp, Circa 1938
7582
An original Herbert Terry & Sons Anglepoise Model 1227 desk lamp, dating from the late 1930s and finished in a wonderfully characterful yellow and brown scumble-painted scheme. With its two-step base, articulated arms, distinctive stepped shade, and exposed three-spring mechanism, this is an especially appealing early example of one of the great icons of British industrial design.
The Anglepoise story began in the early 1930s, when the engineer George Carwardine developed a pioneering system of springs and levers that allowed a lamp to move freely while remaining perfectly balanced in almost any position. Following refinement of his first four-spring design, Carwardine partnered with the spring manufacturer Herbert Terry & Sons of Redditch to produce the three-spring Original 1227, introduced in 1935.
Its design was remarkable for its time: practical, robust, and mechanically elegant, it offered a level of adjustability that transformed task lighting in homes, offices, studios, and workshops. The lamp could be raised, lowered, extended, and angled with ease, directing light precisely where it was needed. More than ninety years later, its unmistakable silhouette remains largely unchanged and instantly recognisable.
This example retains the purposeful, utilitarian presence that makes early Anglepoise lamps so desirable. The warm scumble-painted yellow and brown finish gives it particular decorative character, softening its industrial form while emphasizing the sculptural quality of its engineered construction. It would work beautifully on a desk, drafting table, bedside table, or as a distinctive accent in a library, study, or contemporary interior.
Rewired with brown twisted fabric flex and PAT tested, ready for use. A highly collectible and functional piece of 20th-century British design, combining engineering innovation, timeless form, and everyday practicality.
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