The Anglepoise Lamp
The Anglepoise Lamp
George Cawardine
1935
In 1932, British vehicle suspension engineer George Carwardine invented a spring, crank and lever mechanism that could be positioned and left, holding its pose through tension, without needing to be clamped into place. Carwardine quickly realised that such a mechanism would prove particularly useful for a task lamp and, after applying for a patent, set about manufacturing the first lamps himself.
Huge demand followed, and Carwardine entered into a licensing agreement with spring-maker Herbert Terry and Sons who were already supplying the springs for his lamps. Terry and Sons agreed to manufacture and market the lamps, while Carwardine continued to develop the designs. He intended the original four-spring design for workshops, while an alternative three-spring design followed soon after with the domestic setting in mind. In 1935, the three-spring Anglepoise 1227 was launched, and it’s this exact design that continues to be manufactured today.
Hailed as a triumph of engineering, this iconic anthropomorphic design has revolutionised the lighting industry and spawned imitations the world over. Extended collections of the Anglepoise have since been developed by industrial product designer Sir Kenneth Grange, and brand collaborations with designers Paul Smith and Margaret Howell have secured its status as a treasured British design.
“The Anglepoise is a minor miracle of balance, a quality in life we do not value as we should.”
– Sir Kenneth Grange
