Nursery lampshade in the form of a birdcage; pink plastic, metal; made by Graham Bros (Fairylite), London, 1950s

Nursery lampshade in the form of a birdcage. The top and bottom are made from injection-moulded, pink-coloured polystyrene. The top rises into a high dome, there is an aperture at the summit through which a lightbulb would hang, at the bottom of the top section is a wide upturned brim. The downward-tapering 'cage' is formed from steel wire, the vertical 'bars' are looped around scalloped rings located at the top and the bottom. The plastic bottom part of the cage is a smaller version of the top part, with a dome and a brim. Inside the cage is a wooden bar, connected to the lampshade by slots at either end which fit over the steel wire. Upon this 'perch' is a yellow polystyrene bird which stands upon two steel springs.

Given by Paul Berrisford

Given to the Museum in 2016 by Paul Berrisford [2016/787].

The donor believes this object was purchased by his parents, Kenneth and Betty Berrisford, in Peterborough in about 1952. It was hung in the middle bedroom of their house in Huntly Grove, where it was enjoyed by him (b. 1952), his sister Corinne (b. 1957), her children Anna (b. 1987), Emily (b. 1988) and Alice (b. 1990), and his own children Karl (b. 1990) and Peter (b. 1992). The lampshade was well-loved by the family and by visitors. Paul Berrisford recalled: "Whenever children were going to bed Betty would spring the bird to make it rattle. Then as she was leaving the room she and the children would blow towards the light as she secretly flicked the wall switch to make the light go out".

'Fairylite' was a trademark of Graham Brothers, a London-based manufacturer and distributor.

This fun plastic lampshade was made to resemble a caged songbird, it probably dates from the early 1950s. In style, it is very much ‘of its time’, dating from a period in which British manufacturers, particularly those taking advantage of wartime progress in plastics technology, were producing a staggering range of consumer products.

B.25-2016