A rare and important art nouveau wall light by Best & Lloyd, Birmingham. The decorative brass bracket with original wooden back-plate and complimented with a rare fluted vaseline glass lampshade certainly produced at Stourbridge. England c.1898-1908

Provenance:

• See National archives photo of wall light REG.design.320250 for the year 1898

Dimensions / Specifications:

• Ht.(overall)51cm/20in, Dpth. 28/11, Ht.(backplate)46/18, W.(backplate)15/6 Ht.(shade)26/10, W.14/5.5

Not Included:

• 1 x B.22  (4w or 6w) L.E.D golf/candle bulb (Available to purchase in our accessories department)
• Screw fixings

Best & Lloyd, Birmingham 1840-Present

• Best & Lloyd founded in 1840 is one of the oldest and most prestigious English lighting manufacturers alongside W.A.S Benson
• The company was founded in Smethwick, Birmingham, a major hub for the industrial revolution. They initially began by making brass components before evolving into a world-class lighting supplier.
• By 1900 Best & Lloyd had become one of the largest lighting manufacturers in the world, selling in Europe and The U.S.A.
• As a direct competitor to W.A.S. Benson they successfully combined the artistry of the Arts and Crafts era with high-precision engineering.
• Their early electric lighting can often be found with R.D marks to confirm their identity and occasionally with their registered “Electrocuted Man” emblem.
• Their lampshades would have been locally sourced from the many glassworks from the surrounding Birmingham area but it is unknown if they collaborated with any one factory in particular.
• Later in 1928, founder Robert Best’s grandson designed the iconic “Bestlite” range inspired by the Bauhaus movement.
• Today, the company remains highly active, supplying lighting for private residences and over half of the world’s top 20 super-yachts.