Light Fitting thumbnail 1
Light Fitting thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Light Fitting

ca.1910 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The light fitting is one of two acquired by the Geffrye Museum, London, from the offices of the Essex and Suffolk Equitable Insurance Society's after the premises were relinquished by the society in the early 1950s. The Geffrye Museum passed this fitting on to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Voysey began work on the decoration and furnishing of the offices in 1906. The same light fittings were installed in the drawing room of Garden Corner, Chelsea.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 4 parts.

  • Light Fitting
  • Glass Shade
  • Ceiling Rose
  • Suspension Chains
Materials and techniques
Brass, shaped and cast glass, spattered with gold
Brief description
Suspended light fitting, brass corona supporting a glass bowl suspended by three chains, London, ca. 1906, made by Thomas Elsley, the glass bowl by Chance, designed by C.F.A. Voysey for the Essex and Suffolk Equuitable Insurance Society.
Physical description
Suspended light fitting, the brass corona with indented trilobe leaf cresting suspended by three chains from a ceiling, suspension hook. The metalwork by Thomas Elsley & Co., the glass hemispherical bowl spattered with gold and probably made by the firm of Chance Brothers.
Dimensions
  • Of corona height: 19.8cm
  • Diameter: 36.5cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
Elsley (Each brass unit stamped Elsley)
Credit line
Gift of the London County Council through the Geffrye Museum
Object history
The light fitting is one of two acquired by the Geffrye Museum, London, from the offices of the Essex and Suffolk Equitable Insurance Society's after the premises were relinquished by the society in the early 1950s. The Geffrye Museum passed this fitting on to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Voysey began work on the decoration and furnishing of the offices in 1906. The same light fittings were installed in the drawing room of Garden Corner, Chelsea. (see Studio XLII, 1907-8, pp.20,21 ill.

The offices were built between 1906 and 1910 at 54--56 new Broad Street, London EC2. They were refurbished in 1987 by William Nimmo and Partners, architects, for Haslemere Estates. Eight to ten reproductions were made by Samuel Elliot and Son Ltd., of 61 Gosbrook Road, Reading.
Subject depicted
Summary
The light fitting is one of two acquired by the Geffrye Museum, London, from the offices of the Essex and Suffolk Equitable Insurance Society's after the premises were relinquished by the society in the early 1950s. The Geffrye Museum passed this fitting on to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Voysey began work on the decoration and furnishing of the offices in 1906. The same light fittings were installed in the drawing room of Garden Corner, Chelsea.
Bibliographic reference
John Brandon Jones and others, C.F.A. Voysey architect & designer 1857-1941, London, Lund Humphries in association with the Art Gallery and Museums and the Royal Pavilion, Brighton, cat.no. E.15, p.136.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.148-1956

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSON