Verdigris Copper Ph5 Louis Poulson Wall Lights, circa 1950s

Name: Verdigris Copper Ph5 Louis Poulson Wall Lights, circa 1950s
Brand: Louis Poulsen
Price: 3615.45 AUD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (10 reviews)

About the Item

- Solid copper shade and body - Takes E27 fitting bulbs - Suitable for use outside - Designed by Poul Henningsen - Made by Louis Poulson - Danish ~ 1950s - 50cm wide x 30cm tall x 52cm deep Louis Poulsen In 1874 Ludvig R. Poulsen set up a wine importing business under the name Kjøbenhavns direkte Vin-Import-Kompagni (The Copenhagen Direct Wine Import Company). The firm closed down in 1878. In 1892 Ludvig Poulsen opened his second business, this time selling tools and electrical supplies. In 1896 Ludvig R. Poulsen hired his nephew, Louis Poulsen. Ludvig R. Poulsen died in 1906. His nephew Louis takes over the business and, two years later, moves it to Nyhavn 11. In 2019 the headquarter moved to Holmen, in Copenhagen, which is the company's head office location today. Five years later, Sophus Kaastrup-Olsen became a partner in the firm, whose name was changed to Louis Poulsen & Co. In 1914 Louis Poulsen & Co. published its first catalogue – featuring machines and tools. In 1917, Sophus Kaastrup-Olsen bought Louis Poulsen's share in the firm for 10,000 Danish kroner and became the sole owner of Louis Poulsen & Co. Designer Poul Henningsen began working together with Louis Poulsen in 1924, with a view to taking part in an international exhibition for decorative art to be held in Paris called "Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs & Industriels Modernes". A competition was held to find qualified participants: Henningsen was one of the winners. Next year, Poul Henningsen's lamps earned Gold medals in this exhibition.In 1926 Louis Poulsen and Poul Henningsen were awarded a contract to provide lighting for the newly constructed Forum building in Copenhagen using the now-legendary PH lamp with three shades system.Louis Poulsen starts marketing light fittings, and its first lighting catalogue is published with descriptions in Danish, German, English and French. In 1941, at the time of World War II, Louis Poulsen & Co. A/S acquires the Laurits Henriksen metal goods factory in Copenhagen and becomes a manufacturer of lighting fittings.Henningsen designed a blackout lamp for the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen which allows the Gardens to stay open until midnight: the light from the lamps cannot be seen from aeroplanes flying over the city. The PH5 lamp was launched in 1958: the 5 in its name refers to its 50 cm diameter. Condition report Fully re wired with modern electrical components, patinated copper finish.

Creator:

Louis Poulsen (Manufacturer)

Dimensions:

Height: 11.82 in (30 cm)Width: 19.69 in (50 cm)Depth: 20.48 in (52 cm)

Style:

Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Copper

Place of Origin:

Denmark

Period:

1950-1959

Date of Manufacture:

1950

Condition:

Rewired. Wear consistent with age and use.

Seller Location:

Gloucester, GB

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU3796330700692

Shop All Louis Poulsen

Louis Poulsen

Louis Poulsen is world-renowned as an innovator in modern Danish lighting, but this wasn’t the goal from the start. Founded in 1874 by Ludvig R. Poulsen as a wine importer, the business went through several incarnations before its first pendant lights came to fruition. Through its designs, the company helped establish the foundations of good lighting — function, comfort and ambience — that are now standard in modern furniture design.

In 1924, Danish architect Poul Henningsen partnered with Louis Poulsen & Co., then an electrical supply company, to create what’s now known as the Paris lamp. This design, which incorporated three layers of curved metal disks, created ambience with its indirect light instead of glare. Shown at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris — the exhibition that brought Art Deco design to worldwide attention — the Paris lamp was awarded a gold medal. This led to Poulsen and Henningsen working together on several lighting pieces, including the popular PH pendant light with its concentric shades for the Forum Building in Copenhagen. These high-profile projects helped make Louis Poulsen a go-to purveyor of innovative lighting design.

One of the company’s most well-known lamps is Henningsen’s PH Artichoke lamp (1958), with its 72 copper leaves artfully placed to conceal the light bulb, prevent glare and promote a warm, alluring glow in any room. Another is the steel and die-cast zinc AJ lamp (1960), which Arne Jacobsen designed with an adjustable angled shade for his commission for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. The company has also worked with notables such as Verner Panton and Alfred Homann as well as, more recently, Louise Campbell and Oki Sato.

In 2010, the company was awarded the American Institute of Architects’ Honors in Collaborative Achievement Award; it was the first lighting manufacturer to receive this honor. In 2018, the company was acquired by an investment subsidiary of Investindustrial VI L.P.