Poul Henningsen PH 5 Pendant Lamp

Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp 1958 design white metal lampshade Louis Poulsen Denmark 1950s 1960s

Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp 1958 design white metal lampshade Louis Poulsen Denmark 1950s below

Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp 1958 design white metal lampshade Louis Poulsen Denmark 1950s top

Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp 1958 design white metal lampshade Louis Poulsen Denmark 1950s inside

Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp 1958 design white metal lampshade Louis Poulsen Denmark 1950s label

Poul Henningsen PH 5 Pendant Lamp – 1960s Louis Poulsen Catalogue Picture

(1/3) – PH: Philosophy of light

In this classic recording you get an introduction to how PH (Poul Henningsen) designed his famous lamps with his unique light philosophy. It has been and still is the core element in the lighting philosophy of Louis Poulsen.

(2/3) – PH: Philosophy of light

(3/3) – PH: Philosophy of light

Poul Henningsen PH 5 Pendant Lamp – Labels

The label on the left is the label of this pendant lamp. The other label is a very old label found on another PH 5 pendant lamp.

Lamps In The Movies (And on TV)

Million Dollar Listing New York (2012 – 2021)

A Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp appears in the 2012 – 2021 reality television series Million Dollar Listing New York in an apartment for sale.

Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

A Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp was used as a set decoration in the 2019 American satirical horror thriller film Velvet Buzzsaw. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo and Toni Collette.

Follow the Money (2016)

A Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp was used a s a prop in the Danish TV-series Follow the Money from 2016. The original Danish name is Bedrag (deception). A financial crime thriller that has run for 2 seasons and it has 20 episodes in total.

Rams (2018)

A Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp is hanging in the house of famous German designer Dieter Rams. It appears in the 2018 documentary film Rams.

Fallout TV Series (2024 – )

Two small Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamps were used as set decorations in the 2025 American post-apocalyptic drama television series Fallout, starring Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, and Kyle MacLachlan. They appear here in Season 2, Episode 3, hanging in the kitchen of the villa occupied by Cooper Howard.

In this case, their presence makes sense. The villa is styled as a modern 1950s residence, and the PH 5 fits naturally within that environment.

Many Christian Dell 6631 desk lamps were also used throughout the series. (You can find them over here) It is rather surprising to see German Bauhaus-era lamps in this setting. All examples shown appear to be newly manufactured. Presumably, the production team was looking for a series of identical, vintage-looking desk lamps to create a uniform appearance across the office scenes. As this model is still in production by Fritz Hansen, sourcing multiple matching pieces would have been straightforward. Nevertheless, they do not entirely belong in this context.

There are also several pendant lamps from the 1970s, most likely by the American brand Virden. To a modern eye they may suggest a 1950s aesthetic, yet these models appear in catalogues from the 1970s.

A modular chandelier from the C 300 series, designed by Trix & Robert Haussmann and produced by Swiss Lamps International, hangs in the entrance hall of the villa of Cooper Howard, the Ghoul cowboy. This chandelier is often described as having been designed in the late 1950s, but it is at least ten years younger, making it historically inconsistent with the setting.

Many thanks to Marjan from Vintage Drachten for the beautiful pictures.
Many thanks to Willem for the old Louis Poulsen label. Willem refurbishes PH 5 pendant lamps. You can find his website over here.

Materials: White, purple & dark orange painted round metal lampshade. Porcelain E27 socket.

Cord Length: 65 cm / 25.59”

Height: 24 cm / 13.77”

Width: ∅ 50 cm / 13.77”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, max 100 watt, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Poul Henningsen (1894 – 1967).

Manufacturer: Louis Poulsen & Co A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Other versions: The Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp was produced in many different colours over the years. Occasionally, examples are found without a manufacturer’s label.

This pendant lamp is part of the PH three-shade system, a lighting principle developed by Poul Henningsen between 1925 and 1926 for a large exhibition hall in Copenhagen, Denmark, known as the Forum.

The PH 5 provides primarily downward light and is based on a multi-shade reflecting system. This construction ensures a soft, evenly distributed and completely glare-free illumination, regardless of the position of the light source.

The PH in the name stands for Poul Henningsen, while the 5 refers to the lamp’s diameter of 50 cm. The PH 5 was designed in 1958 and received an iF Design Award in 1971. As shown in period catalogue material, two versions were available, suitable for either a 100 or a 200 watt light bulb.

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.

Lamps In The Movies

La Prochaine Fois Je Viserai le Coeur (2014)

A Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp was used as a set decoration in the 2014French crime thriller film La Prochaine Fois Je Viserai le Coeur (Next Time I’ll Aim for the Heart). Starring Guillaume Canet, Jean-Paul Comart and Ana Girardot.

Springvloed (2016) – Spring Tide

A Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp was used as a set decoration in the 2016 Swedish crime television drama series Springvloed (Spring Tide). Starring Julia Ragnarsson, Kjell Bergqvist and Johan Widerberg.

Ofrenda A La Tormenta (2020)

A Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp was used as a set decoration in the 2020Spanish-German crime film Ofrenda A La Tormenta (Offering to the Storm). It is the third and final instalment in the Baztán Trilogy. In all 3 films many lamps appear. Although it is almost an overkill in this last film. Starring Marta Etura, Leonardo Sbaraglia and Paco Tous. Here together with the FLOS Arco floor lamp designed by Achille Castiglioni.

Entrapped (2016 – 2021)

A Poul Henningsen PH 5 pendant lamp was used as a set decoration in the 2020Icelandic television mystery drama series Entrapped (Trapped, series 3). Starring Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir and Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson.