Herbert Terry & Sons
Anglepoise Original 1227 (1935), George CarwardineThe Anglepoise lamp was created in 1932 by George Carwardine (1887-1948), an automotive engineer who developed vehicle suspension systems. Carwardine had developed a new type of spring that would remain in position after being moved. These springs did not end up in a car, instead Carwardine developed a work-lamp based on the anatomy of the human arm. Carwardine turned to one of the few companies able to produce springs of such complexity, Herbert Terry & Sons, to manufacture his design.
In 1932, the first Anglepoise lamp, the 1209, was launched. This four-spring Anglepoise was too industrial for a domestic market, so in 1935 Terry developed a three-spring version. The design, known as the Anglepoise Original 1227, is generally considered the archetypal Anglepoise lamp. It sat on the desk of Roald Dahl and also featured in many of the James Bond films. It doesn’t get more iconic than this.
In 1938, Jacobsen approached Herbert Terry and Sons and negotiated a license to manufacture and distribute a version of the lamp under the name Luxo. Luxo saw huge success and Jacobsen got the license to produce and market the L1 in every country outside the British Commonwealth. It even features in the logo of Pixar, bouncing into shot at the start of every film.
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