The Bestlite was the creation of Robert Dudley Best who was heir to the world's largest lighting factory in Birmingham, England in 1920. The factory was established as far back as 1840, but in spite of the factory's long history, Robert Best felt that the lamp designs of the factory were outdated.
In 1925 Robert visited the International Exhibition of Modern Design in Paris. Many of the designs exhibited were greatly influenced by the Bauhaus ideas, and Robert was particularly impressed by the work of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. After that he, he began his studies of industrial design in Düsseldorf and Paris. By the end of his studies he designed the Bestlite.
A few also found their way to some visionary architects' desks. This led to a feature article in the prominent architectural magazine 'Architects Journal'. Bestlite was featured as the first Bauhaus manifestation in England. The interest soon increased dramatically, and when Winston Churchill chose the Bestlite for his desk in Whitehall, success was inevitable. |
