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The 20th Century was an era of innovation and flair in the lighting sphere. Two post-war periods saw an influx of new materials as well as a desire to move away from traditional designs. This was the age of the Sputnik pendant, stunning Murano glass lamps, and a host of other revolutionary lighting designs.
For most of our history, we relied upon daylight, moonlight, and dubious candles to get by. Gaslight arrived in the 19th Century, but it was reserved for commercial and industrial settings at first and had its fair share of drawbacks.
The greatest revolution in domestic lighting came in the 1870s. Joseph Swan and Thomas Edison invented the first commercially viable incandescent light bulbs. These offered a much cleaner and safer solution than gaslighting. The National Grid rose to the challenge of roll-out, and by the end of the 1930s the number of homes wired for electricity rose from 6% in 1919 to 2/3s.
The spread of electricity in the early 20th Century set the stage for some of the most ground-breaking lighting designs in history. Today, lighting is an essential element in the interior tapestry, both in form and function. Layers are key to this, and vintage lighting, with its brilliant spectrum of design styles, can fulfill any brief.
Lighting, perhaps more than any other interior feature, will always need optimal function as well as good looks. A major functional breakthrough came in the development of task lighting in the early 20th Century. Task lighting is designed to aid specific activities, from reading to sewing. It encompasses floor lamps, table lamps, and desk lamps. The last of these has a particularly fascinating history.
Like all great designs, social context played a big role in the development of task lighting. An early entrepreneur in this field was Curt Fischer, who ran a German metal workshop. His company, Midgard, invented its first lights in 1919. These lamps were informed by an acute study of human behaviour. Midgard was deeply inspired by Bauhaus principles and vice versa. Throughout the 20s and 30s, the driving force behind task lighting was factories and workshops. As the 20th Century progressed, they found a whole new relevance through emerging corporate work culture.
The ergonomics behind early designs responded to common human problems. Slouching over a desk for long hours has long presented side effects. With their articulated arms bending – quite literally – to the user’s will, early task lights addressed this issue.
Despite plenty of experimentation during the early 20th Century, it was one George Carwardine who invented the desk lamp as we know it today. Far from a lighting designer by trade, Carwardine specialised in car engineering. Upon observing the suspension mechanisms in vehicles he worked on, Carwardine realised the same could work for lights.
By using a new sort of spring and pivoting arms, he achieved balance without the need for counterweights. He patented the new helical spring in 1932, but he chose to outsource production to the company that supplied his springs. So, Carwardine worked on new designs whilst Herbert Terry took over the manufacture, and the Terry Anglepoise lamp was born.
The first Anglepoise model, 1227, became available to the general public in 1935. The outbreak of WWII helped rather than hindered them, as they marketed it as the ideal blackout lamp for keeping light localised. Herbert Terry continued to adapt to the zeitgeist throughout the 20th Century. For example, during the 60s and 70s the company produced lamps in an array of vibrant shades.
These early designers and manufacturers were so successful that most later desk lamps have looked very similar. Articulated lamps are still much sought-after, especially in the current mode of home working. It wasn’t always about creating the most focused light possible, as Hans-Agne Jakobsson proved. The renowned Swedish designer mastered anti-glare, diffused and muted lighting. We consider these same qualities indispensable in our interiors today.
Whether you’re looking for a workshop lamp or a statement chandelier, vintage lighting is such a large pool that you cannot go wrong. If you’re after artisanal beauty, there’s one country that gets it right every time. This feels like an apt moment to quote our interview with Toma Clark-Haines, the Antiques Diva. ‘Lighting is the jewellery of the room and sets the vibe of a space. When it comes to lighting, it’s got to be Italian.’
It's not hard to see why Toma covets Italian lighting. Italy was home to the likes of Gio Ponti and Gaetano Sciolari during the 20th Century. They also had one major asset when it came to lighting design: the glassmakers of Murano. When this stunning hand-blown glass met with stylish Mid Century forms, the result was breathtaking.
Successful designers such as Gino Sarfatti treated lighting as an art form, producing reams of lamps in his lifetime. You appreciate these pieces as an art form before even thinking of them as a light, but function was never sacrificed for style.
Lamps by the likes of Carlo Nason, the famed Murano glass artist, shatter the boundaries of traditional lighting. Colour is the most mesmerising feature in any Murano glass lamp, with a dazzling array of vibrant shades.
As always, Italian manufacturers played a key role alongside these individual designers. Mazzega, for instance, started out in 1946 and still operates today under the grandson of founder Angelo Vittorio Mazzega. The company, then and now, works with the very best international lighting designers – all in the medium of gorgeous Murano glass. When you hear Mazzega, their chandeliers made up of densely packed leaves of Murano glass often spring to mind.
Explosive talent ricocheted through Europe and America in this period and shook the design world. Interior rule books were torn up and rewritten more frequently than ever before. Again, more often than not the most iconic designs speak to their historical and social context. You can almost map social developments through just a few distinctive lights and their makers.
The fabulous Sputnik chandelier was influenced by a fascination with all things space-related in the Mid Century. Its origin is disputed due to the many interpretations of this pendant light, but the very first came from Gino Sarfatti – the Italian modernist designer.
As with George Carwardine, Sarfatti was not a destined lighting designer. He was an aeronautical engineer by trade but seized the opportunity for extra income when his family fell on hard times. Sarfatti called his designs ‘rational’ lights, in reference to their efficiency and simple aesthetic.
The Sputnik, with its branches pointing in all directions, was a very successful experiment in directional light. Its metal form gives it an industrial edge, but it somehow feels glamorous at the same time. This seminal design is named after the Soviet Union’s first-ever satellite, launched in 1957. Sciolari was among the designers who designed their own version of this classic.
Singular design houses shifted seamlessly with changing tastes throughout the century. A good example is Maison Jansen, the Paris-based favourite of royals and elites. They spanned traditional Louis XVI, Art Deco, and modernism in over 100 years of operation. In the 70s, their iconic palm tree and ananas floor and table lamps revived Hollywood Regency glamour with brilliant results. These brass lamps with their natural themes are still in high demand today for bringing exotic luxury to a space.
At the other end of the spectrum, the lighting designs of Poul Henningsen are the definition of Scandi restraint. The Danish designer's motivation was akin to that of the Arts & Crafts movement – to improve people’s lives through design. His three-tiered shade designs reduced glare and distributed a soft glow throughout the room.
His first pendant, the PH lamp, was produced in 1926 by Louis Poulson and met with global acclaim. Henningsen designed his first PH Artichoke for a modernist Copenhagen restaurant in 1958. This stylish spiky pendant remains a firm favourite amongst collectors.
The 20th Century saw perhaps the most extensive and successful range of lighting designs in history. The lighting produced in this period is indispensable to our interiors, whatever your personal taste.
The designs covered in this article don’t even scratch the surface of vintage lighting. However, they do give some idea of its sheer quality and range. Shop all our 20th Century lighting on our website, as well as our whole collection of Mid Century design.
Spark your imagination with our lookbook, ‘Iconic retro lighting‘
"Whether it’s the contents of a historic house or the collection of a movie star like Lauren Bacall, we love to go behind the scenes and this is exactly what house sales allow." Charlie Thomas is Director of House Sales and Private Collections at Bonhams. Charlie is currently working with us on the exciting Lorfords X Bonhams online sale, which is now live!
Q: It has been a tumultuous year or so for the antiques industry. What changes, due to the pandemic, do you think are here to stay?
The use of technology in the auction industry has advanced at a pace we have never seen before. Before the pandemic, we didn’t have an app and we could never have imagined selling to an empty room of just screens. The pandemic has made us look at how we interact with clients and we are better for it.
Q: What is your favourite furniture period? Why?
I love 18th Century country furniture. For me, antiques must be practical and comfortable as well as beautiful. 18th Century furniture ticks a lot of those boxes - plus with children and dogs, it has to be forgiving to damage, which luckily… it is!
Q: What drew you to antiques in the first place? How did you get started in your career?
It was auctions that first attracted me to this industry. I love every aspect of the job, from valuing and cataloguing to interacting with the sellers and buyers. Then, of course, the thrill of the auction itself! I joined the Bonhams furniture department as a junior cataloguer in 2002 and I haven’t looked back since.
House sales unearth all sorts of amazing treasures. A few highlights are the cache of letters between Lord Harlech (David Ormsby-Gore) and Jackie Kennedy. We found the letters in a Government dispatch box from the Bonhams sale of Lord Harlech’s estate.
Q: Do house sales require a degree of sensitivity? Is there an emotional dimension?
Yes. It’s a big decision to sell the contents of a house, whether the collection has been collected over many generations or just one, every object means something and tells a story, which is also why they are so popular.
Q: One piece of advice for someone new to attending auctions?
Don’t be afraid to come along and ask questions. Auction houses are nothing like the intimidating environments that many people expect. We are here to make the experience as easy as possible for the seller and the buyer. Also, we aren’t museums, and we encourage potential buyers to handle objects, learn and hopefully fall in love!
English late 18th and 19th Century painted pieces are becoming very popular and their prices are creeping up.
Q: What is the most fascinating object that has passed through your hands?
So many! House sales unearth all sorts of amazing treasures. A few highlights are the cache of letters between Lord Harlech (David Ormsby-Gore) and Jackie Kennedy. We found the letters in a Government dispatch box from the Bonhams sale of Lord Harlech’s estate. Another highlight was the emerald pendant belonging to Tipu Sultan we found in the Lord Glenconner Collection. Most recently it's got to be the amazing carved 16th Century armorial panels we found in Dunrobin Castle's attics. These came from the Queen Regent's House in Edinburgh.
Q: You were recently involved in The Dunrobin Attic Sale, a highly anticipated event that didn't disappoint. Why are house sales so important to this industry?
The story and history behind the houses, the vendor, and the objects are fascinating and this is a huge draw for potential bidders. Whether it’s the contents of a historic house or the collection of a movie star like Lauren Bacall, we love to go behind the scenes and this is exactly what house sales allow.
Q: What period or style do you feel is having a moment right now?
I'm seeing a huge increase in demand for painted furniture. Swedish furniture is most associated with being painted, but English late 18th and 19th Century painted pieces are becoming very popular and their prices are creeping up.
Q: What is the most exciting piece in the upcoming Lorfords X Bonhams sale, in your opinion?
I think I’m most excited about the amount of Howard & Sons furniture featured in this sale. I’ve always dreamt of owning a Howard armchair to sink into whilst spending all day reading the papers. This sale has some AMAZING examples, and the best bit is that they have all been reupholstered so they are ready to go straight from saleroom to home.
Q: If you could choose a Lorfords piece that's not in the sale for your own home, what would it be?
Good question! Possibly all the remaining duck decoys!
Q: What object makes your house your home?
For me, it’s my George III bookcase. I’ve filled it with everything I love, including a collection of Japanese ivories, works of art, fossils, and pottery made by my children. It’s a bit of a Wunderkammer….
Q: As we emerge from lockdown, what are you most looking forward to?
I want to say hugs, but…. Skiing!
Q: Who is your dream dinner party guest?
Alive: if Toby wasn’t free, then it would have to be Sir David Attenborough. Dead: it's Sir Winston Churchill.
Q: Tell us something we would be surprised to know about you?
I’m very horsey!
With its tall back and enclosing wings, the wingback armchair is a distinctive classic. It has established itself in the upholstered furniture lexicon with its offer of elegance and comfort. Whilst wingback armchairs now represent a timelessly stylish piece of furniture, their origins are very practical.
Today, with our central heating and carpets, it is difficult to fathom quite how cold the old English home once was. 'Wings' were added to seating to protect the sitter from blustery draughts, as well as from stray embers and ashes that might spit out of the roaring fire.
The wingback still offers this protection, but there is clearly less need in today’s home. So why are these chairs still so prevalent in our interiors? Their stately yet enveloping form has made them a true stalwart of classic English furniture.
The first record of any sort of wingback chair was made in the 17th Century. At this time, its purpose was likely wholly utilitarian and these chairs were used for the aforementioned reasons. It was probably entirely wooden, perhaps with an added seat cushion for comfort. Indeed, the wingback armchair shares its wings, or ‘saddle cheeks,’ with the settle. Both variations were orientated around warmth and, of course, having a place to rest.
During the Queen Anne years, the wingback evolved to become the classic English armchair we know today. Whilst Queen Anne only reigned from 1702 to 1714, the ‘Queen Anne’ style persevered for much of the first half of the 18th Century. This was the age of walnut and developing upholstery skills, which both elevated the wingback into something quite beautiful. Cabinet-makers combined these wings with the elegant new cabriole leg, with its curved knee and pad foot.
Interiors underwent a great deal of change during this period. As large-scale fireplaces and bigger windows emerged, there was a natural demand for furniture with similar proportions. Cabinet furniture became large and imposing and chairs had more generous proportions. Social change was underway too, and gatherings required plenty of sociable furniture. So, the wingback became the ultimate ‘easy chair’ during the Queen Anne years, and its use extended far beyond protection.
From Queen Anne thereafter, the wingback had firmly earned its place in the English home. Georgian interpretations used walnut and mahogany frames with tall, shaped backs and wings. Wingback armchairs also found their way across the pond to France and elsewhere in Europe. Wings were a natural adornment for French bergères, particularly the curvaceous feminine examples seen under Louis XV.
The early 19th Century brought about an upholstery revolution, which swept the wingback armchair along in its tide. Prolific makers of the period, such as Howard & Sons, produced their own examples of the style popularised by Queen Anne. Comfort became a keen priority in Victorian Britain, and the wingback developed a perfect combination of comfort and aesthetic. By the time the English country house style was truly codified a century or so later, the wingback was already a classic in its own right.
The remarkable thing about these chairs is their never-ending appeal. From their primitive beginnings for warding off draughts, wings still appealed to designers of the mid to late 20th Century. Indeed, many modern furniture companies still produce the style. Over the years, wingbacks have sported everything from velvet to leather coverings – depending on current fashions.
At the heart of this enduring appreciation is the organic shapely feel wings give to a chair. Post-war designers across Europe adapted the feature to suit their sleek and functional designs. For instance, in 1957, Ottorino Aloisio designed a wonderful wingback which was manufactured in Pier Luigi Colli’s workshop. This chair appears to have almost nothing in common with a classic Queen Anne wingback; it has a simplistic silhouette with a metal frame and ergonomic feel. And yet, wings are such a distinct feature that wingback armchairs from all walks of life feel related.
These chairs are high and mighty, yet also comforting and welcoming. As a result, wingbacks have a place in all interiors. Wings give a chair an automatic sense of structure and presence. Their shape means they look brilliant from any angle, with a particularly striking side profile. Angle one or two beside the fire or incorporate them into a suite for a full English drawing room feel. Wingbacks and Chesterfield sofas share a respected legacy and complement each other wonderfully. Camelback sofas are another great match for these armchairs, due to their common s-curve form.
All armchairs feel at home in the living room, but a wingback will accentuate any corner of your home. Their cosiness is perfect for a bedroom chair, or to welcome guests in a foyer or hallway. The high back, deep seat and wings of a classic wingback make it a supportive reading chair for the library or home office.
The wingback style has truly stood the test of time. With their charming utilitarian history, these armchairs somehow feel both timeless and contemporary. They will sit proudly within a range of interior schemes and offer an opportunity to combine their classic silhouette with vibrant fabrics of your choice. Pair extravagant colours with a neutral setting, or vice versa place a simple wingback in front of floral wallpaper or brightly painted wall.
Browse our collection of wingback furniture here, and all of our armchairs here.