An Art Deco Cast Bronze London Underground escalator uplighter

An archetypal piece of Art Deco station furniture, this cast bronze uplighter is not just a functional light but an iconic piece of Tube history. It was removed from its place on the escalators in 1974; unfortunately we only have the lamp, not the escalator it once graced, so now it is mounted on a small wooden plinth. The photograph on the right shows a prototype escalator assembly in the factory, with just such an uplighter in position on the left.

The architect Charles Holden had a long working relationship with Frank Pick, General Manager of UERL (as London Underground was known in the 1920s). The two men shared a belief in unified design for all aspects of London Underground, everything from the shape of the building to the style of the bins. Following a 'fact finding' trip around Northern Europe in 1930 Holden began work on stations for the Piccadilly line extension. The modernist stations at Arnos Grove, Wood Green and Southgate were only part of Holden's collection of forty tube stations, his hand and eye are still visible in various inner London stations., their fixtures and fittings.