Poul Henningsen

Poul Henningsen was born on 9 September 1894 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He studied at the Technical School at Frederiksberg from 1911 until 1914, and later at the Technical College in Copenhagen until 1917.

Throughout his life, Henningsen devoted himself to studying the importance of light for human well-being. His work focused on creating lamps that produced comfortable, glare-free illumination, based on careful control of light distribution and reflection. He is often described as one of the first true lighting architects.

His self-titled PH series became his most famous body of work. Among his best-known lamp designs are the PH Artichoke and the PH 5, both of which remain influential landmarks in modern lighting design.

Henningsen was a highly versatile cultural figure. During the 1920s he achieved a literary breakthrough and became politically active on the left. At the same time, he worked as a revue writer, creating the so-called PH revues between 1929 and 1932.

In 1931 he also designed the PH Grand Piano, often regarded as one of the most beautiful grand pianos ever made. Before the Second World War, Henningsen took part in anti-fascist cultural activities, consistently seeking to connect culture and politics. During the war years he fled to Sweden, where he continued to support the resistance through camouflaged poetry and writings.

After the war, he distanced himself from the Communist movement, particularly as his scepticism towards the Soviet Union increased. In his later years, during the 1960s, he became a member of the Danish Academy. Poul Henningsen passed away on 31 January 1967, at the age of 73.

Louis Poulsen

Louis Poulsen is a Danish lighting manufacturer with roots going back to 1874, when Ludvig R. Poulsen started a business in Copenhagen. The company later shifted from general trading into tools, electrical supplies and, eventually, lighting. In 1896 his nephew Louis Poulsen joined the firm, and after Ludvig’s death in 1906 Louis continued the business. In 1911 Sophus Kaastrup-Olsen became a partner and the company name changed to Louis Poulsen & Co A/S; in 1917 Kaastrup-Olsen became the sole owner.

A key turning point came in the 1920s with the long collaboration with Poul Henningsen (PH). His work on glare-free lighting and shade systems became central to the company’s identity and strongly influenced modern lighting design. Since then, Louis Poulsen has continued to collaborate with architects and designers, producing both classic catalogue models and large-scale architectural lighting for public buildings.

Designers

The most famous designer associated with Louis Poulsen is Poul Henningsen (PH), followed by major Danish and international names such as Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Vilhelm Lauritzen and Vilhelm Wohlert.

In later years Louis Poulsen also worked with a wide range of designers and studios, including Alfred Homann, Louise Campbell, Øivind Slaatto, Andreas Hansen, Eila & John Meiling, Henning Klok, Axel Wedel Madsen, Jørgen Bo, Ole Valdemar Kjær, Christian Flindt, Clara von Zweigbergk, nendo (Oki Sato), Olafur Eliasson, Jens Møller-Jensen, GamFratesi, Bent Gantzel-Boysen, Anne Boysen and many others.