Quartet Major display lighting
Light Fitting
ca.1966
ca.1966
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This light fitting was made of die-cast aluminium, could be wall or ceiling mounted and purchased in white or grey.
Robert Heritage trained at Birmingham College of Art and the Royal College of Art and became a Designer for Industry in 1963. He had worked with Rotaflex on the design of two other Quartet ranges before being commissioned to design the Major fitting, which was to use a 300w sealed-beam lamp.
Heritage refined the bulk of the lamp itself to the absolute minimum by keeping the front of the enclosure circular. Behind the face of the lamp, the enclosure flows into the original Quartet box shape but, to avoid a top heavy look, fins were added to the two sides not held by the stirrup. These fins not only improve the proportions but dissipate heat, so that the enclosure can be handled comfortably even with the 300 w lamp switched on.
The Quartet Major fittings won first prize in the Aluminium Design Awards, sponsored by the British Aluminium Co Ltd in collaboration with the Council of Industrial Design. Bernard Stern set up Rotaflex in 1953 with £1,000 borrowed from three friends and £130 of his own.
Robert Heritage trained at Birmingham College of Art and the Royal College of Art and became a Designer for Industry in 1963. He had worked with Rotaflex on the design of two other Quartet ranges before being commissioned to design the Major fitting, which was to use a 300w sealed-beam lamp.
Heritage refined the bulk of the lamp itself to the absolute minimum by keeping the front of the enclosure circular. Behind the face of the lamp, the enclosure flows into the original Quartet box shape but, to avoid a top heavy look, fins were added to the two sides not held by the stirrup. These fins not only improve the proportions but dissipate heat, so that the enclosure can be handled comfortably even with the 300 w lamp switched on.
The Quartet Major fittings won first prize in the Aluminium Design Awards, sponsored by the British Aluminium Co Ltd in collaboration with the Council of Industrial Design. Bernard Stern set up Rotaflex in 1953 with £1,000 borrowed from three friends and £130 of his own.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Quartet Major display lighting |
| Materials and techniques | Die-cast aluminium |
| Brief description | Quartet Major display lighting, designed by Robert Heritage and manufactured by Rotaflex |
| Physical description | Quartet spotlight, with detachable yellow filter, floorstanding |
| Dimensions |
|
| Object history | Historical significance: Winner of the Design Council Award in 1966. |
| Summary | This light fitting was made of die-cast aluminium, could be wall or ceiling mounted and purchased in white or grey. Robert Heritage trained at Birmingham College of Art and the Royal College of Art and became a Designer for Industry in 1963. He had worked with Rotaflex on the design of two other Quartet ranges before being commissioned to design the Major fitting, which was to use a 300w sealed-beam lamp. Heritage refined the bulk of the lamp itself to the absolute minimum by keeping the front of the enclosure circular. Behind the face of the lamp, the enclosure flows into the original Quartet box shape but, to avoid a top heavy look, fins were added to the two sides not held by the stirrup. These fins not only improve the proportions but dissipate heat, so that the enclosure can be handled comfortably even with the 300 w lamp switched on. The Quartet Major fittings won first prize in the Aluminium Design Awards, sponsored by the British Aluminium Co Ltd in collaboration with the Council of Industrial Design. Bernard Stern set up Rotaflex in 1953 with £1,000 borrowed from three friends and £130 of his own. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.387-1967 |
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| Record created | April 27, 2011 |
| Record URL |
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