Anglepoise is turning 90! We look at the story of an icon…
Few designs are recognisable by their silhouette alone; the Anglepoise lamp is one of them. A perfect balance of engineering and aesthetics, this pragmatic object is part of Britain’s design vernacular – a noun in its own right.
It all began in 1932, when automotive engineer George Carwardine developed a new kind of spring in his garden shed. It soon became apparent his invention supported pivoting arms that could be positioned at any angle with the lightest touch. He turned to springmakers Herbert Terry & Sons to turn his patent into a product, and in 1935 they launched the three-spring ‘Original 1227’ Anglepoise lamp.
Simon Terry is the fifth generation of his family to run the brand. ‘I feel an incredible sense of pride and purpose,’ he says. ‘My duty is to leave the business in better shape than I found it and pass it on to my children.’ For him, the lamp’s lasting appeal lies in the fact that it solves a genuine problem and has no frivolous parts. Its anthropomorphic form gives it a certain charm, too. ‘It moves like a human being,’ Terry notes, smiling. It’s that quirkiness, along with technical perfection, that he believes makes it inherently British, citing its appearance in Goldfinger as proof. ‘I don’t think it would have been invented anywhere else in the world,’ he says.
Creative collaborators have to share the brand’s values and playfulness. Fashion designer Margaret Howell’s mid-century-modern slant helped the lamp pivot from office staple to style icon, while Paul Smith applied his mastery of colour to its angular form; a partnership with the National Trust raised funds for The Homewood, a British modernist gem. An unexpected pairing with skateboard brand Palace led to a glow-in-the-dark version. ‘That was cool,’ Terry recalls. ‘The proposal was for a lamp that was permanently lit! We love that cheekiness. When you have an iconic product, you can’t be apologetic.’
Sir Kenneth Grange joined Anglepoise as design director in 2003. He died in July, aged 95, and Terry is still processing the loss of his friend and the brand’s guiding creative force: ‘He could play the serious designer, but he had a wicked sense of humour.’ Soon, the company will launch a new version of Grange’s ‘Type 80’ light with a glass shade. ‘He was working on that up until he passed away,’ reveals Terry. ‘He had one design principle: to make products that are a pleasure to use. His philosophy will endure.’
Ahead of Anglepoise’s 90th anniversary, Terry is in a reflective mood. ‘I’m without a design director – I’m resetting,’ he says. Celebrations will involve various launches, but also a focus on the repairing side of the business – it launched a lifetime guarantee four years ago, the first lighting company in the world to do so. However, a dedication to longevity has long been a part of the brand’s DNA. Terry recalls how, in 1985, a World War II bomber fitted with an Anglepoise navigator’s lamp was recovered from Loch Ness. Remarkably, the light still worked. ‘Nothing should be destined for landfill,’ he says. ‘These products will outlast me by generations.’ anglepoise.com
