A cast-brass arts & crafts table standard signed by W.A.S. Benson supporting a modern fabric shade (not included). This rare model is designed with original switch (display only) and foliate copper decoration. England, c.1900-10

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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.