A beautiful arts & crafts pendant vaseline glass lampshade by John Walsh Walsh in their moulded honeysuckle design with original gallery by Best & Lloyd of Birmingham. Complimented with original brass flex spacer. England c.1900-10

Provenance:

• Best & Lloyd gallery stamped with R.D no.31997, National Archives
• The Glass of John Walsh Walsh, Eric Reynolds P.42, Pl.7, reg Des.375896

Dimensions:

• Ht.(as displayed-reducible)110cm/43in, Ht.(shade & fit)28/11, Ht.(shade)20/8, W.14/5.5

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.

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.