A rare and important pair of Arts & Crafts wall lights designed and signed by William Arthur Smith Benson. The decorative wall lights designed with heavy cast-brass swirling fronds synonymous with Benson designs. The wall lights are now complimented with original John Walsh Walsh vaseline glass lampshades in the registered “Stripe & Dot” pattern No.436269. England c1900-10

Further Provenance:

• See final photo from book W.A.S Benson by Ian Hamerton with more basic design of light.

Dimensions:

• Ht.(overall)41cm/16in, Dpth(overall)34/13.5, Dpth.(bracket)29/11.5, Diam.(rear fixing back-plate)8.5/3.25, W.(floral back-plate)16.5/6.5

William Arthur Smith Benson, London 1854-1924

• William Arthur Smith Benson was an Arts and Crafts designer who campaigned with the National Exhibition of the Arts for “Crafts” to be exhibited as an art form which lead to the formation of the Arts and Crafts movement of the time.
• Oxford University(1874–1877) He originally studied Classics and Philosophy but after finishing decided that he would be more suited to architecture, combining art and engineering, two of his interests.
• 1877: Moved to London to apprentice as an architect under Basil Champneys. During this time, he met William Morris, who encouraged him to open a workshop.
• 1880: Benson opens his 1^st workshop in North End Road, London, where he created and sold new designs specialising in the area of lighting.
• By 1900 Benson had reached his zenith both in England and on the continent. In Paris Benson’s lights were displayed in Siegfrield Bing’s gallery “Maison L’art Nouveau”.
• Benson collaborates with James Powell & Sons of Whitefriars glassworks to supply the majority of the glass lampshades for his fittings but is diligent enough to register the designs of some shades so they will not be copied or used by any other lighting designers.
• Today you will regularly find original lampshades from alternative glassworks sympathetically married with his lights as the originals have not survived. A light retaining the original catalogued Powell lampshades will be highly sought after.
• W.A.S Benson is now considered to be the premier British arts and crafts lighting manufacturer of the period, a pioneer of electrical lighting design, famously bridging the gap between artistic craftsmanship and modern engineering.

John Walsh Walsh (1850–1951)

Soho Glassworks & Vesta Glassworks (Lodge Road, Birmingham)

• John Walsh Walsh is considered one of Britain’s most influential glass manufacturing companies outside the Stourbridge Glass Quarter
• 1850: Birmingham entrepreneur John Walsh Walsh purchased the established Soho Glassworks on Lodge Road to produce his own soda water bottles.
• 1864: The founder John Walsh Walsh passed away, leaving the enterprise to be split among his children.
• 1879–1882: Following a family buyout, control transitioned to Walsh’s daughter Ellen and her husband Thomas Walker. They hired Lewis John Murray as manager, shifting production toward high-end cut crystal and art glassware.
• 1897: The company formally launched its highly iconic “New Opaline Brocade” range, which became heavily sought after for Art Nouveau lighting shades
• 1923: The factory site officially adopted the dual moniker of the Soho and Vesta Glass Works.
• 1926 (23 June): The iconic “WALSH” trademark was legally registered to combat cheap imitation imports from continental Europe.