Gispen the originals

W. H. Gispen (1890-1981) was a Dutch decorative artist / industrial designer. He left a large legacy consisting of beautiful designs. While he is mostly known for his steel pipe furniture, his photometric lamps are certainly as ingenious and interesting. It is remarkable that Gispen's original designs are still produced today.

Gispen was able to go from a decorative artist to a functional designer within the walls of his own factory. His products became more businesslike and functional in the twenties. In 1926, he began creating an extensive collection of lamps to which, in 1927, the brand Giso was attached. Their fixtures have opal-coulered "glass balloons" and adhered (as they still do today) to photometric, economic and aesthetic demands. It was also around this time that the Bauhaus lamps were launched on the market and that Gispen mirrored them to complete his own designs. The designs became standardised and this insured that the combining of parts from different lamps became possible. A plenitude of materials were offered (and are still offered); from brown bronzed, black bronzed, matte nickel-plated, polished nickel-plated to chromed copper. Even the choice in glass has become more diverse; matte or glossy opal-coloured glass for lampshades shaped like bowls and spheres. Gispen assembled the lamps in his factory. Factories located in London and Brussels were authorised to produce Giso designs.

Famous Gispen orignals: Pendant lamp Saturn, Luxurious Pointed Gispen, Hanging lamp 2076, the Sonneveld lamp, Floor lamp 65 and the Gentleman's desk lamp.