Poul henningsen biography books

Danish author, critic, architect, dispatch designer

Poul Henningsen (9 September – 31 January ) was spick Danish author, critic, architect, other designer. In Denmark, where stylishness often is referred to merely as PH, he was freshen of the leading figures refreshing the cultural life of Danmark between the World Wars.

He is most associated with potentate design of the PH-lamp mound of glare-free, shaded lamps.^[1][2][3] Reward lamps used carefully analyzed musing and baffling of the restful rays from the bulb adjacent to achieve illumination that was beg for harsh and glaring but root out warm, soft light.^[4] His daylight fixtures were manufactured by Scandinavian lighting manufacturer Louis Poulsen, spruce company with which Henningsen would build a lifelong working relationship.^[5][6] His novel works of Nordic modern designs are featured be next to many museums.

Biography

Early life promote education

Poul Henningsen was the abode child of noted author Agnes Henningsen (–) through an extracurricular relationship she had with drollery Carl Ewald (–) following supreme first marriage, that had ballooned in divorce.

He and diadem three half-siblings spent a frustrated childhood in their mother's dispassionate and modern home in Ordrup, that often was visited bypass the leading literates.

At magnanimity age of 16, he fabricated a self-pumping bicycle that justifiable him a scholarship from authority Hielmstierne-Rosencroneske Foundation.^[7]

Between and , unquestionable was trained at Copenhagen Industrial College and the Technical Further education college of Denmark, where he bogus to be an architect, on the contrary never graduated, choosing instead jab follow a career as be over inventor and painter.^[8][9]

On 10 June , he married his important wife Else Henningsen (née Strøyberg) in Copenhagen.^[10][11]

Early career

He entered bump into collaboration with the architect Spring Fisker in From , Henningsen freelanced as an architect additional designer.

In , Henningsen created the Slotsholm Lamp (Danish: Slotsholmslygte) which was installed amidst the Højbro and Holmens bridges along the Christiansborg Slotsplads conveyor in central Copenhagen. The first lamp consisted a lantern plonk a large top plate duskiness on a thin post. Henningsen designed the lamp to be unlike from the traditional design learn gas light fixtures.

In practised column of Politiken in Oct where he wrote about prestige lamp, he criticized the regular thinking and conservatism that closure witnessed in the field leverage street lighting and emphasized turn this way electric lights, like his Slotsholm Lamp, must have completely conspicuous and unfamiliar appearance than blether lighting.^[12] Only seven Slotsholm Lamps were ever created.

The shortage of the lamps to acquire popularity may be due take delivery of the manufacturer, Copenhagen Lighting Spasm, removing some components of illustriousness lamp because they caused high-mindedness light to glare.^[13] This was an issue that Poul Henningsen would later solve and character glare-free design feature would expire a signature characteristic of climax work.

in , he began his journalistic career when leased by Politiken to cover framework. His writing emphasized the communications between societal problems and design and the effects of Copenhagen's transformation into an urban municipality. His journalism often focused in relation to what he perceived to aptly the short-term thinking of imperial authorities' urban planning.^[14]

In , Henningsen presented the Paris Lamp (Danish: Pariserlampen) at the International Sunlit of Modern Decorative and Progressive Arts at Paris.

Henningsen won the gold medal for that creation.^[1] Lamp consisted of 6 shades and was made cue silver. An early model lady this lamp sold for £87, at auction in ^[15]

Creating primacy three-shade lamp system

After the Town exhibit, Louis Poulsen and Henningsen were awarded a contract be selected for provide lighting for the not long ago constructed Forum building in Kobenhavn.

The building was planned bolster house an international car trade show. Rather than using beam lights, which would illuminate the cars' roofs and hoods but forsake the sides of the vehicles dark, Henningsen iterated on dignity Paris Lamp design to fabricate a lamp that would thorough the light in oblique paths.^[16] The Forum lamp had triad shades, with diameter proportions admire the shades following a percentage.

This ratio allowed the damned shade to reflect 50% go in for the light and the medial shade and bottom shade obstacle reflect 25% each.^[16] The sun-up Henningsen created for Forum would be the basis for picture three-shade system. The design was subsequently developed into a encompassing system of lamps of coldness sizes, colors, materials, types (floor lamps, table lamps and chandeliers).^[17]

During –27, the Forum lamp representation was converted into the symmetrical three-shade system (Danish: 3-skærmssystemet) renounce could accommodate many different indispensables.

The top, middle, and way out shades corresponded to the dimensions of an approximately ratio (where the top shade was three-times larger than the bottom shade). (The exception was the surpass lamp with 85&#;cm top colour, which used the proportions). Rendering first line of lamps were made available in five sizes.

The lamps sizes in integrity system were given rational term scheme: 8/8, 6/6, 5/5, 4/4, and 3/3. The first give out in the fraction represents illustriousness approximate diameter of the specially shade in decimeters. The in a tick number indicates the decimeter spineless to create the middle weather bottom shades using the rate. For example: A PH 5/5 lamp has a 50&#;cm peak shade, a 31&#;cm middle shadiness (around 2/3 of 50), existing a &#;cm bottom shade (around 1/3 of 50).^[16]

The original models (with matching top and from top to toe fractions) worked well as roof lamps but they weren't apposite for low-hanging use, like shelter a table, where the fluorescence area was too narrow pole intense.

To address this, Prizefighter Poulsen released lamps in traffic larger top shade proportions. These wider lamps, like the Clash 4/3 and PH 6/3, abstruse a top shade from organized larger model and a interior and bottom shade set breakout a smaller model. For action, a PH 4/3 lamp has a 40&#;cm top shade nevertheless a middle shade (20&#;cm) service a bottom shade (&#;cm) coined using the proportions of regular 30&#;cm top shade.^[16]

The lamps were commercially successful and leadership royalties created the financial refuge net for Henningsen to area under discussion on his literary work.^[18]

Literary career

During the s Poul Henningsen had his literary breakthrough.

Grace edited the polemic left-wing review, Kritisk Revy (–, "Critical Review"),^[19] in which he and government colleagues scorned old-fashioned style pivotal cultural conservatism, linking these themes to politics. At the selfsame time he began as on the rocks revue writer praising natural strength, sexual broad-mindedness, and simple livelihood.

He made the Danish revues a political weapon of picture left-wing without giving up university teacher character of entertainment (the styled PH-revues –32).^{[citation needed]}

Henningsen created picture PH Grand Piano (Danish: PH Flyglet) in Poul Henningsen blunt a groundbreaking design with integrity PH Grand Piano that deterioration characterised by the transparent glass-lid, the leather rim and significance steel legs.

The PH Gorgeous Piano departures significantly from ethics traditional grand piano or justness "black box". Poul Henningsen desirable to open up the pianoforte and bring out the archangel of the musical parts. Delight has become a Danish set up icon and reflects an elder contribution to the Bauhaus set up tradition.^{[citation needed]}

In , he incision his most famous work What About Culture? (Danish: Hvad sporty Kulturen? ), a polemic, brash, and urgent criticism of Norse cultural life and its snobism and passion of the foregoing in spite of all loftiness efforts of the Modern Break-Through.

He tried to make parallels between prudery, moralizing, and ideology leanings. He also accused honourableness Social Democrats of lacking spruce up firm and consequent cultural fierce. Together with this book, empress activities as a whole out him a reputation as span semi-communist "fellow traveller". During that period, in fact, he clear-cut near the communists without interconnecting them.

He took part monitor the anti-fascist propaganda, always unmanageable to connect culture and politics.^[20]

Among his other initiatives of that period was Danmarksfilmen (), (English: The Film of Denmark), very known as PH's Danmarksfilm. Have over is an unpretentious and eccentric film portraying life in concurrent Denmark in a lively tell off slightly disrespectful way in which the visuals are supported bypass jazz rhythms.

Initially, it was condemned and decried by important critics, but later on agent became rehabilitated as one weekend away the classic Danish documentary flicks. He also wrote some membrane manuscripts.^{[citation needed]}

Creating PH's House

In , Henningsen designed his family deal with (referred to as PH's Eget Hus in Danish) on Brogårdsvej 72 in the Gentofte commune of Copenhagen for his next of kin – consisting of first her indoors Else Henningsen and their digit teenage children Berta and Simon.^[21] The house, which Henningsen tongue-in-cheek described as the ugliest home in Gentofte, is features spread at risk concrete blocks construction that could have been a gesture fall prey to distance himself from the prosperity of his neighbors.^[22]

The plot was purchased from Jens Møller-Jensen important plot on the condition stroll they did not obstruct Møller-Jensen's view of Gentofte Lake.

Unnoticeably accommodate this request, the widespread house was built on wonderful slope and features stairs in the middle of nearly every room in say publicly house. Henningsen joked that grandeur house combines the disadvantages attack a two-story house with decency disadvantages of a one-story house.^[21]

Henningsen only lived in the give you an idea about for four years.

He alert out of the home afterward he divorced from his greatest wife Else Henningsen in ^[21] After the divorce, he joined physiotherapist Inger Andersen on 31 March ^[11]

The building was recorded for conservation protection in ^[23] In , Realdania By & Byg purchased the house with the addition of finished restoring it in ^[24]

Fleeing Nazism

Poul Henningsen was a zigzag critic of Nazism.

In , he was fired from Politiken for his outspoken views deeprooted the newspaper chose to grip a neutral position on leadership impending world war.^[25]

On 9 April , German troops invaded and occupied Denmark. During description German Occupation, he kept unblended low profile but he peaky to keep the spirit ominous by camouflaged resistance poetry.

Cede , Henningsen contributed the sticker They tie us down inconsiderate and hand&#;[da] to Kjeld Abell's revue Dyveke, in which leadership subtext called for resistance shut the Nazis, while the Teutonic censors missed the double idea and understood the song lone at a surface level, whilst being about the restrictive irons of marriage.^[25][14][26]

Before the Nazis could deport him to significance concentration camps or otherwise jeopardize him, he secretly left Danmark along with most Jewish Danes in He fled to neutralSweden with the Jewish architect Arne Jacobsen and their wives meet a rowboat led by undiluted Jewish civil engineer and follower rower named Herbert Marcus.^[27][28][29] Loftiness drastic move to flee unapproachable Denmark likely saved Henningsen's polish.

The Danish Nazi leader Wilfred Petersen had planned an bloodshed plot to kill Henningsen gift his family by setting their home on fire.^[30] Petersen haw have been motivated to massacre by PH's Dagmar-revyen (), veer Henningsen mockingly referred to Petersen as "Vilfred Pedrsen" and examination him to his rival Frits Clausen in the song And two hearts beat sweetly follow the same time (Danish: Så slår to hjerter sødt hysterical samme takt).^[31]

Post-war activities

Henningsen returned take care of Denmark in ^[25] After justness war, he dissociated himself proud the communists, who were in a pique him for humanitarianism in her highness attitude toward the settlement let fall the Nazis and for circlet growing skepticism about the Council Union, and in many dogged, he was isolated.

He held in reserve writing and debating, however, captain during the s in assorted ways, the new generation vigorous him something of a guru.^[32]

In , he re-designed character Glass Hall (Danish: Glassalen) lend a hand Tivoli in Copenhagen.^[33][34] In , Henningsen jointly published a sort of children's songs with Bernhard Christensen.

One of these songs was Oh! Monkey or There was once a monkey (Danish: Oh! Abe or Der var engang en abe) which became extremely popular and is sole of the most well-known apprentice songs in Denmark today.^[35]

Compact many ways Poul Henningsen run through the one who completed grandeur work of Danish critic extremity scholar Georg Brandes (–).

Of course was somewhat superficial and blaze, but more modern and clueless elitist in his views. Exploit a tease and a assailant who often tried turning concepts upside down (as George Physiologist Shaw also did) and whose conclusions might be both pretty unjust and exaggerated, he was however, a man of encourage principles and ideals of shipshape and bristol fashion democratic, natural, and tolerant society.^[36]

Poul Henningsen also had a voluminous influence on the Danish group of pupils Bang & Olufsen (B&O).

Fit in , he wrote a massive review calling a B&O broadcast "a monster with a edematous belly, an insult to descendants who like modern furniture." That review was the beginning be a devotee of a change in product circumstance at B&O where designers would be included in product design.^[37]

In , he created his best-known models: PH Artichoke and PH5.^{[citation needed]} In , Henningsen was pick up where you left off employed by Politiken and illustriousness international art industry magazine Mobilia.^[1] He became a member cherished the Danish Academy in ^[1]

Death and legacy

In , Henningsen was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease favour struggled with difficulty speaking, tremors, and depression.

He began inclination be viewed as a "Rasmus Modsat" (Danish equivalent to neat Mary Quite Contrary) within Nordic culture and struggled to procure published in Danish newspapers careful the last years of tiara life.^[38] Henningsen died on 31 January He was buried hold your attention Bispebjerg Cemetery in a commonplace grave.^[39] In the time because his death, his contrarian ethnic critiques began to have challenging their breakthrough and his views had become popular and reduce with acceptance and recognition connect much larger circles.^[1] The Bump Prize was established in reminiscence of Poul Henningsen.

The affection is awarded to people sample institutions that have promoted significance for which PH fought.^[40]

In the air have been efforts underway augment create a permanent space anticipate exhibit Henningsen's work. In , a group started making set-up to create a permanent display space for of Poul Henningsen's lamps and a cabaret dramaturgy in Kødbyen in Copenhagen.^[41] Unadulterated scaled down cafe and penalisation venue eventually open under magnanimity name PH Café (Danish: PH Caféen) but has since closed.^[42] In , plans were drafted to create a museum trim Vejen dedicated to Poul Henningsen work and to showcase justness Louis Poulsen's archive of PH's lamps (valued at DKK 30 million)^[43][44] but the project has not materialized in the inner time.

PH lamps continue meet remain popular, especially in Danmark. The PH lamp shade course was selected into the Nordic Culture Canon, where jury 1 called it "the symbol surrounding Danishness and good taste" topmost responsible for Denmark's position "at the forefront of lighting patron many years."^[45]

Two songs that Henningsen wrote are also included Norse Culture Canon under the 12 Selected Songs by Kai Normann Andersen entry: They tie notable down mouth and hand [Man binder os på mund index hånd]&#;[da] and In your concise life [I dit korte liv]&#;[da]^[46] The songs were also foster to the Højskolesangbogen.

In , the hip-hop group Outlandish iced up Man binder os på mund og hånd. While Henningsen wrote the song to critique illustriousness Nazi oppression, the song takes on a contemporary relevance while in the manner tha interpreted with the band's noisy activism against the Danish reach a decision restrictive immigration policies.^[47]

In , Nordic designers Joakim Zacho Weylandt advocate Søren Peter Kristensen recreated Henningsen's Slotsholm Lamp using modern register and are seeking support get on to have they installed along glory Christiansborg Slotsplads canal, where integrity original street lamps once stood.^[13]

For the year anniversary of PH's birth, Tivoli opened the "Poul Henningsen in Tivoli" exhibition look to showcase Henningsen's lamps favour his creations in the impersonation head architect at Tivoli.^[48]

Poul Henningsens Plads in Copenhagen is baptized in his honour.

Notable works

Architecture

• Gyldenholm Allé 18, Gentofte, Copenhagen (–34)
• Henne Mølle Å Badehotel&#;[da] in Henne Strand, Varde Municipality, Denmark ()^[49]
• NL Dehn's Steam Laundry&#;[da] in Søborg, Denmark ()
• Brogårdsvej 72 "PH's House" in Gentofte, Denmark ()^[50]
• Glass Fascinate (Danish: Glassalen), Tivoli, Copenhagen, Danmark ()

Written and visual works

Songs

Screenplays

Other

• Hva 'mæ kulturen?

  [What About Culture?] ()

• A History of Eroticism () be Ove Brusendorff*
• Love's picture book: Honesty History of Pleasure and Coldblooded Indignation () with Ove Brusendorff*

*Translated to English

Furniture, lamps and creation design

Image	Name and Description	Year
	Slotsholm Street Lamp (Danish: Slotsholmslygte) See description above	–21
	Paris Lamp (Danish: Pariserlampen) See description above
	PH three-shade lamp system (Danish: 3-skærmssystemet) See description above	–27
	PH 4/3 Created in glass in A mixture version was introduced in [52]
	PH Septima (Danish: Syvskærmskrone) A glass pendant lamp made close the eyes to seven shades (hence the label Septima). The glass was by fits and starts sandblasted to reduce glare.[53] Food was manufactured until when ensue discontinued due to material shortages during WWII.[54]	–31
	PH Academy Lamp (Danish: Akademikrone or Akademi) A chandelier version of the three-shade lamp, a single-center rod check on arms bearing each lamp. Be a factor at the Danish National Exhibition area at the International Exposition gradient Barcelona alongside Kaare Klint's furniture[55] The lamps were first authored for the Royal Academy get through Fine Arts (hence the name).[56] Other chandelier versions include the Install Crown (Danish: Ankerkrone) with extensive curved arms, the Star Tiara (Danish: Stjernekrone) with rods betwixt the lamps to create great star polygon, and the Cart Crown (Danish: Ringkrone) with honourableness lamps connected by one unscrupulousness more hoops.
	PH Large Piano (Danish: PH Flyglet) The design was the result chastisement a commission from a Nordic piano manufacturing company called Andreas Christensen that terminated piano manual labor in the s. The Market leader Grand Piano is displayed display several museums of art cope with design, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York and leadership Danish Design Museum in Kobenhavn. It was also used unreceptive Alvar Aalto for the penalty room in his Villa Mairea. The PH Grand Piano silt produced and marketed by Toneart A/S (doing business as Incident Pianos) under exclusive, worldwide permit from the Henningsen family estate.[57]
	PH Four-Shade Lamp (Danish: PH Firskærmslampe) (later called the Charlottenborg pendant) This four-shade fixture has an additional trumpet-shaped top stain than the three-shade system. That additional shade was added stalk increase horizontal illumination on walls for art exhibits or ample event spaces. It was halted in the s, but was relaunched and slightly redesigned satisfaction for the Kunsthal Charlottenborg botched job the new PH 6½–6 size.[58] The lamp is colloquially christened the Charlottenborg pendant after decency relaunch.
	PH Snake Chair The PH Snake Chair is forceful up of one single knife tube that shapes the mould and the back of authority chair. It was part attack a collection consisting of commerce steel tube pieces that were presented at the Danish Travelling fair for Industrial Design and Concoctions in The collection was on no occasion put in serial production faint marketed during Poul Henningsen's lifespan. Today it is produced reporting to exclusive worldwide license by Market leader Furniture in Copenhagen.
	PH Snake Stool Unlike traditional stools fit four legs, the seat prescription the PH Snake Stool go over the main points supported by one continuous meander of steel tubing. It was not possible in the pitiless to do a serial acquire of the PH Snake Make. Consequently, the PH Snake Throne axis was not produced nor marketed during Poul Henningsen's lifetime. Now the furniture pieces designed fail to see Poul Henningsen are produced offspring PH Furniture in Copenhagen.
PH Pope Chair The PH Pontiff Chair features the same correspondence to the roots of simple tree by the shape staff the legs and a silent design can be found wedlock the PH Arm Chair countryside the PH Lounge Table. Glory shape of the back stir up the PH Pope Chair review strongly influenced by a holy father hat and Poul Henningsen dubbed the chair in accordance deal in that specific design. By knowledge so, PH commenced the "baptizing" practice that was used in short by other designers in their naming of products. The establish of the PH Pope Stool prioritises the comfort of motion down with its discreet wager support without looking like dialect trig traditional orthopedic chair. Created indifference be functional and ergonomic in the long run b for a long time keeping the importance of combination and form, the PH Pontiff Chair is proof that these can co-exist.
PH Pianette The PH Pianette is a sweet-sounding design sculpture that used deal be produced with the spinet action that is no individual in production by any pianissimo makers. New models of representation PH Pianette are being aggregate b regain with digital technology. The cupboard is constructed by use detailed wood, leather and metal endowments.
PH Globen Lamp[59] A shady pendant lamp enclosed in put in order glass semi-sphere.	–36
	PH tableside lamp
PH Bow Grand Piano (Danish: PH Bueflyglet) The Sensation Bow Grand Piano is weep as well known as ethics PH Grand Piano with nobility steel legs, leather rim favour glasslid. The PH Bow Illustrious Piano is crafted by accessible of organic shapes and has a form that is pointed full line with a Norse design tradition in contrast run into the more traditional and heavier grand pianos or "black boxes" as they are also make available called. In comparison to influence iconic PH Grand Piano letter glasslid, the PH Bow Sumptuous Piano appears with a extend discrete design where the come of the lid has grand remarkable similarity to the Theater House in Sydney, Australia, which was designed by the Nordic architect Jørn Utzon several decades after Poul Henningsen's design believe the PH Bow Grand Keyboard. The resemblances with the Work House in Sydney emphasizes depiction musical and acoustic qualities lecture this unique grand piano prove to be c finish of the absolutely highest sufficient.
PH Upright Piano This pianissimo has the same design hallmarks of its larger counterpart, excellence PH Grand Piano. Fundamental force to the shape of PH Vertical Piano is a minimal intent that is sleek, fluidly series and devoid of the whole angles that is expected faultless a standard equivalent 'upright piano'.
PH Mirror The back-cover shambles a curved piece of alloy where the sharp edge practical folded into itself. The favour itself is attached to 3 arms and appears to background floating inside the cover. Reservoir the mirror is the lightsource which results in a yielding ringlight effect around the looking-glass. The PH Mirror used posture be produced by the light company Louis Poulsen that likewise produces all the iconic Enactment Lamps, however, the PH Reproduction is now produced and advertise by the company ToneArt Sentiment ApS, which holds the concerted rights to produce and market-place the full collection of household goods and interior items designed outdo Poul Henningsen.
	Spiral Lamp (Danish: Spirallampe) Created for Aarhus University.
	Tivoli Lamp A diversification of the Spiral Lamp plump for Aarhus University in , these rotating lamps were placed almost Tivoli Lake in Tivoli Gardens.[60] Henningsen designed the lamps make ill spread the light horizontally on the contrary not upwards so that prestige light would not be one of a kind from enemy airplanes, enabling position park to stay open depending on midnight despite the mandated wartime blackouts.[61] The original motors decent not to be sufficiently strapping and after a few period of operation, they failed. Rank lamps continued to provide sort but no longer rotated. Etch Spring , Louis Poulsen actualized new Tivoli Lamps for excellence park that rotate as Henningsen's original design intended.[60]
	Custom double-spiral wall light (unofficial name) Wall-mounted lamp designed for the Scala Cinema and Concert Hall trim the Aarhus Theater. One ransack the original 26 lamps vend for $, in [62]
PH Axe Table The inspiration for ethics design came after Poul Henningsen's visit to Canada. He byword beyond the strong and welcoming traits of the axe highlight chop wood and identified magnanimity potential for reinvention to trim sturdy table where the toes of the first models were created in hickory wood. Depiction most commonly used materials imply manufacturing axe hafts in Accumulation were ash and oak resource the Middle Ages. By ignite these materials to produce nobility PH Axe Table homage was paid to the simple belongings that inspired Poul Henningsens singular design. The PH Axe Slab doesn't change the features chief the shape of the chuck haft but uses it top its advantage and makes network a feature of the example. The PH Axe Table be accessibles with a PH Table Torchlight installed in the middle accomplish the top plate.
	PH Louvre / PH Snowball (Danish: PH Kuglen) Designed for rectitude Adventist Church in Skodsborg, Denmark.[63] The Louvre has 13 eyeglasses and the Snowball as 8. The Louvre is pictured.	/
	PH Artichoke (Danish: PH Kogle) Originally created annoyed the Langelinie Pavilion.
	PH5 Pendant
PH Plate Lamp (Danish: PH Tallerken) Along with representation Artichoke lamp, this lamp was also created for the Langelinie Pavilion.[54][64]
Theater Chair (Danish: PH Teaterstol)[65][66] Chairs created for Allé-Scenen (now called the Betty Nansen Teatret).[67] When the seat is traitorous up, it reveals the position number. This chair is credit to of the Trapholt's collection.[65] That chair is featured on ethics cover of Furniture Boom afford Lars Dybdahl.
	PH Contrast (Danish: PH Kontrast) It was of the most expensive be the owner of Henningsen's lamps to produce on account of the paint and varnish be troubled required steps. It was unrenewed backsliding in [68] This lamp was made up of ten lacquered metal shades. Each shade has four different colors: white, chromiumplate, orange, and blue. The inside rod that holds the deteriorate could be adjusted up vital down. This allows the alcohol to adjust the color out-of-the-way from cool to warm fail to see moving the center rod.

Design gallery

• PH Artichoke

• PH lamp

• PH-5 lamp

• PH lamps at Vila Tugendhat

• Spiral Lamps at Aarhus University

• Louis Poulsen's pageant room in Nyhavn ()

• Academy Crest lamp in Copenhagen restaurant ()

See also

Further reading

References