George Carwardine

By 1932 Carwardine was ready to unveil his remarkable invention - a 4-spring lamp, combining unprecedented freedom of movement and perfect balance due to its patented constant spring mechanism. And soon demand for the lamp far outstripped Carwardine’s small-scale supply. So in 1934 Carwardine licensed the design to world-class spring maker, Herbert Terry & Sons, who already supplied the springs for his lamps. Not long after, the Anglepoise® name was registered and the 4-spring ‘Model 1208™’ went into volume production.

Carwardine and the designers at Terry’s went straight back to the drawing board, intent on reworking the industrial-style 4-spring design for a domestic market. In 1935 a 3-spring Anglepoise® lamp was released. This was the Original 1227™ - the same design produced to this day.

Carwardine maintained his association with Terry’s for the remainder of his life. He developed numerous variations on the original Anglepoise® design, including lamps for hospital operating theatres, and for navigator tables in military aircraft. But it’s the enduring Original 1227™ model that remains the archetypal Anglepoise® lamp, and with it, an iconic British design.