Month: March 2022

Danish designer – Poul Henningsen

Poul Henningsen (1894-1967)

Poul Henningsen was a Danish author, critic, architect, designer and also made a film.

His most well known design is a lamp named after his intials, PH lamps.

PH-5 lamp
PH-Artichoke lamp
PH Contrast lamp

Henningsen believes that lighting should cover large areas of glare emitted directly from the light source in order to create a beautiful, soft shadow effect.

The design characteristics of PH luminaires are:

(1) all light is reflected at least once before reaching the surface to obtain soft and even illumination

(2) the light source is not visible from any angle so as not to irritate the eyes with glare

(3) Compensate the incandescent light spectrum to obtain a suitable light colour

(4) Diminish the brightness at the edges of the lampshade and allow some light to spill over to avoid excessive contrast in the interior lighting.

Image from the patent filing for PH’s three-shade system
Display at the Danish Architecture Centre demonstrating how the lamp reflects light
Close up on the display. Three shade system.

PH Snake Chair, PH Pope Chair, PH Snake Chair, PH Chair (accordingly from left to right)
PH Desk
PH Piano

W.A.S. Benson candlesticks in British Museum

William Arthur Benson set up his business W. A. S. Benson and Co in 1880 at North End Road, West Kensington, London. Working within the English Arts and Crafts Movement, his firm’s reputation for fine metalwork soon grew. Benson’s designs for lighting and table ware in copper, brass and silver plate have become increasingly collectable as his work has become more widely appreciated. Benson and Co. moved to larger premises in Hammersmith and continued until 1920 when he went into retirement.

9 Benson Pair of Piano or Mantelpiece Candlesticks

This piano candlesticks was also designed to be carried in the hand and placed down safely.

Benson designed hundreds of items for modern living in an age of social change and catered to modern clients who were now living in their homes without staff, cleaning and cooking for themselves in an informal manner. With these clients in mind, Benson created a lacquer for brass and copper to stop tarnishing which was a huge success in the modern home. Something that set Benson apart from other Arts and Crafts designers was his passion for industry and machinery. His workshop was full of machines and chemicals that he used in his creation process and this showed in his work through interesting mechanisms, joints and visible wires.

Some of other designs by William Arthur Smith Benson:

Coffee pot, before 1900
W.A.S. Benson - Copper and brass English (London), circa 1891 (date design was registered)
Fire screen
W.A.S. Benson: furnishing and lighting the Arts & Crafts interior