William Arthur Smith Benson (also known as W.A.S. Benson) (17 October 1854 – 5 July 1924) was a British designer active in the Arts and Crafts Movement. Benson was a founding member of the Art Workers' Guild in 1884.[1]
William Arthur Smith Benson | |
|---|---|
 W.A.S. Benson by Frederick Hollyer, c. 1900. | |
| Born | 17 October 1854 |
| Died | 5 July 1924 (aged 69) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Designer |
| Spouse(s) | Venetia Benson, née Hunt |
| Relatives | Alfred William Hunt (father-in-law) Margaret Raine Hunt (mother-in-law) Violet Hunt (sister-in-law) |
Benson was born on 17 October 1854 in London, and between 1874 and 1877 he attended New College, Oxford University studying classics and philosophy.[2] Upon leaving Oxford, he was articled to the London architect Basil Champneys, but by 1880 he had decided not to make a career in architecture, and opened a small workshop in North End Road, Fulham making furniture.[2] A year later the company employed John Lovegrove, a skilled brass and copper-worker, and Benson moved into the design of metal work including fire screens and fenders, tableware, kettles, urns and light fittings.[2] The success of the company saw them move to a new factory at Eyot Works, St Peter's Square, Hammersmith and opening a showroom at Camden Hill Square in Kensington during 1883.[2][3]
The company would move their showroom to 82 Bond Street, London in 1887, and in their 1899-1900 catalogue the business offered over 800 items that could be ordered. The business also offered commissioned designs, including equipping solicitor J.S. Beal house called Standen with electric lighting, one of the first houses to be fully electrified in Britain.[2] A big commission for Benson was the design and installation of the electric lighting at St. Paul's Cathedral between 1899 and 1900.[2] Benson would also start to design furniture for both Morris & Co and J.S. Henry & Co, and upon William Morris death in 1896 he was appointed as the director for furniture at Morris & Co.[2]
The W.A.S. Benson Company became a registered limited company in 1900, while during World War I the company switched production to shells for the Ministry of Munitions, and equipment for the launching of torpedoes for the Admiralty.[2] In 1920, Benson sold the business and retired to to Castle Corner, a house in Manorbier, Wales with his wife and died four years later on 5 July.[2]
References
- ^ Harriet Bridgeman, Elizabeth Drury (1975). The Encyclopedia of the Victorian. Country Life. p. 188. ISBN 9780600331230.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Benson, William Arthur Smith (W.A.S.) 1854-1924". Art History Research. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "William Arthur Smith Benson". The British Museum. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
Further reading
- Ian Hamerton (Ed.): W.A.S. Benson: Arts & Crafts Luminary and Pioneer of Modern Design. Antique Collectors' Club, 2005, ISBN 978-1-8514-9476-7.
- Caroline Dakers: The Holland Park Circle: Artists and Victorian Society. Yale University Press, 1999, ISBN 978-0-3000-8164-0.
- Charlotte Fiell, Peter Fiell (Hrsg.): 1000 Lights: 1878-1959, Band 1. Taschen Verlag, 2005, ISBN 978-3-8228-1606-6.
- Benson, William: Arthur Smith (1854-1924), metalwork designer. Page 60, John D. Culme in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Suppl. 11. Missing persons from the beginning to 1985. Publisher: Oxford University Press 1993 (Online in the Internet archive)
External links
- Benson's works in the Art Institute Chicago
- Copper tray
- Benson's work on Pinterest
- Benson Trademarks
- WAS Benson: Genius of the Arts & Crafts
- W.A.S. BENSON ARTS & CRAFTS ADJUSTABLE BRASS TABLE LAMP Christie's Sale 5743, Lot 432 — of 22 June 2010
- Designed by Benson ca. 1895, made by Morris & Co.
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