Klara’s story: How an Anglepoise lamp became part of my family’s history

”I bought a grey Anglepoise for my 9-year-old grandson, as a memento of my of my father who had recently passed away. My father was an artist and found out much later how it got into his studio, which was in a remote part of rural Czechoslovakia, where my family had been relocated for not complying with the Communist regime.

By some miracle, in 1967, my father was allowed by the authorities to travel to Canada to see his artwork exhibited at the Expo in Montreal. He came back after a month with two items in his suitcase – a pale green minidress for my mother and a grey Anglepoise which he’d carefully disassembled to fit into his luggage.

I was born a year later, and I now realise that the green dress and grey lamp must be some of my earliest memories. I also now fully understand why the lamp was such a precious possession for my father. It was a true symbol of light at a dark time. He would be so happy to see one of your lamps in his grandson’s room.”