From humble beginnings Herbert Terry one of 12 children began his spring winding business as a cottage industry, working from a terraced house in Redditch. Soon the business became profitable and although still a private business in 1900 progress had been made into a proper factory unit.

With the addition to simple spring line some very diverse products were being made at the factory. A early advert boasts a apparatus specifically designed to attach your cricket bat and pads to your bicycle handle bars, ( how could such a product not fail to reach a mass market).

Fortunately there were more popular items in the Herbert Terry and Sons catalogue, notable the “Terry clip”. I know these clips from my childhood days when my bicycle pump was fastened to the frame.

As time progressed the business grew, becoming a company in 1913. In a advertisement of about 1917, I notice a pen pocket clip synonymous with my grandfather daily ware, being a draftsman for smiths dock Newcastle.

At this point or stories mesh, when George Carwardine approaches Terry to manufacture the necessary springs for the anglepoise lamp. So impressed by its design and as ever the astute business man Terry was able to gain license to manufacture the lamp.

In 1933, the Anglepoise model number 1208 was made in Terries now substantial factory, incidentally coinciding with the floating of the “public company”. Although the 1208 lamp is similar to the iconic 1227, it’s not as pretty and the upper arm springs did have a nasty habit of nipping fingers or grabbing long hair.

The lamps proved to be very popular and the addition of the 1209 established the line firmly in the industrial market. However both models proved ill suited to the domestic requirements due to large size and industrial looks. So as the spectre of war swept across Europe the release of a pretty little lamp may of been overlooked if it had not proved to be such a triumph of design and practicality that is a 1227 Anglepoise lamp.

 

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