{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1459568"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1459568/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LD6085/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2018LD6085/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2018LD6085","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LD6084","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LD6083","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018LD6082","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1459568","accessionNumber":"M.26-2018","objectType":"Light fitting","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"William Arthur Smith Benson (1858-1924) was born in London and educated at Winchester and Oxford.  Benson was first articled to the office of Basil Champneys until 1880.  Through his friendship with the Pre-Raphaelite artist, Edward Burne-Jones, he met William Morris, whom he had long admired and was inspired to set up a workshop for the manufacture of metalwork in 1880.  He later opened a well equipped factory in Hammersmith and in about 1887, a shop in Bond Street.; the firm survived until he retired in 1920.  Benson was an active member of the Art Worker’s Guild from 1884, a leader in the formation of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society from 1886 and wrote an essay on metalwork in the catalogue of the first exhibition in 1888.  On Morris’s death in 1896Benson became chairman of Morris &amp; Co. for whom he designed furniture and wallpapers.  In 1914, he was a founder member of the Design and Industries Association.\r\n\r\nBenson’s firm produced some simple furniture but his great output consisted in well designed utilitarian metalwork, usually in copper and brass but sometimes in electroplate, including lamps, teapots, food warmers etc.  Benson had always been interested in engineering and, unlike so many of his Arts &amp; Crafts contemporaries, had little compunction about the use of the machine.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Twin lamp electric wall light, originally lit by gas and later converted to electricity, brass, copper and opalescent glass.  In two parts, the lower fitting (M.26:1-2018) fixed to the wall by an oval mahogany plate from which emerge two brass `U' shaped tubes, a copper embossed leaf and a spiral brass strip, the tubular sections supporting two glass, opalescent, veined shades of flower pot form and held in place by spring clips.  The upper fitting (M.26:2-2018), placed directly above the lower is attached to the wall by a circular brass mount from which two curved branches of strip brass terminating in spiral coils support two conical opalescent shades with wavy rims.  These originally served to capture the residue and water vapour created by the burning gas mantles.  ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"W.A.S.Benson, Esq.,","id":"C6851"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"W.A.S. Benson & Co. Ltd.","id":"A11159"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"James Powell & Sons","id":"A344"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"Also known as Whitefriars Glassworks, supplier of the opalescent glass shades."}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"copper","id":"AAT11020"},{"text":"brass","id":"AAT10946"},{"text":"glass","id":"AAT10797"}],"techniques":[{"text":"forging (metal forming)","id":"AAT54033"},{"text":"embossing","id":"AAT53826"},{"text":"twisting","id":"x37964"},{"text":"glass-blowing","id":"AAT53932"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Copper, brass and opalescent glass.","categories":[{"text":"Architectural fittings","id":"THES48994"},{"text":"Lighting","id":"THES48925"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[{"text":"Arts and Crafts","id":"AAT21205"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2018LD6085","2018LD6084","2018LD6083","2018LD6082"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES337601"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES337605"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES337603"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES337603"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES337603"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES337603"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Light fitting","id":""}],[{"text":"Light fitting","id":""}],[{"text":"Large shade","id":""}],[{"text":"Large shade","id":""}],[{"text":"Small shade","id":""}],[{"text":"Small shade","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed and made","id":"x39722"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Hammersmith","id":"x36844"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1880-1915","earliest":"1880-01-01","latest":"1915-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Ian and Rita Smythe","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Depth","value":"31.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"32","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Lower fitting and without shades","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"36.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"21.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Upper fitting and without shades.","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"19.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"16.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Lower glass shades","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"20","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"16.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"maximum","date":{"text":"16/10/2018","earliest":"2018-10-16","latest":"2018-10-16"},"part":"Upper glass shades","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Wall light, twin lamp, copper, brass and opalescent glass, London, 1880-1915, made by W.A.S. Benson & Co.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Ian Hammerton, ed. <u>W.A.S. Benson, Arts and Crafts Luminary and Pioneer of Modern Design</u>, Woodbridge, Antique Collectors' Club, 2005.  ISBN: 1851494766"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Shirley Bury, <u>A Craftsman who used the Machine</u>, Country Life, CXXXVII, no.3550, March 18, 1965. pp.624-7."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"embossing","id":"AAT53826"},{"text":"leaves","id":"x34654"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.26:1-2018","M.26:2-2018","M.26:3-2018","M.26:4-2018","M.26:5-2018","M.26:6-2018"],"accessionNumberNum":"26","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":2018,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-17","recordCreationDate":"2018-09-05","availableToBook":true}}