Osler & Faraday Ltd, Set of four Crystal Wall-lights, France Circa 1950

Beautiful set of four four-light cut crystal wall-lights attr. to Osler & Faraday Ltd. From a central cup emerges the shaft consisting of a dagger surmounted by an inverted cup topped with a faceted sphere ending in a dagger. The four light arms end with binets and bobeches with diamond-cut decoration.
The whole is elegantly decorated with numerous crystal pendants. They are supported by an oval gilt bronze attachment decorated with foliage.

Biography
The Osler company was founded in Birmingham in 1807 when Thomas Osler began manufacturing small glass ornaments and chandelier parts. His sons Abraham Follett and Thomas Clarkson joined the business and, in 1831, reorganized it as F. & C. Osler. Their growing success allowed them to open a shop on Oxford Street in London in 1845. In 1847, they exhibited a large pair of candelabra commissioned by the King of Egypt for the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca. F & C Osler supplied a monumental 8.25 m high crystal fountain for the Great Exhibition to be held in Hyde Park, London, in 1851. The firm received several other important commissions in the following years, including the manufacture of a large chandelier for St. George’s Hall, Liverpool, in 1856, and a 36-light chandelier for the Mansion House, London. In 1858, the firm received an order for tableware for the banquet given by Queen Victoria in the Great Dining Room at Aston Hall, on the occasion of the mansion’s opening to the public. Clarkson died in 1876 and Follett retired the same year. Their sons Henry Follett and Alfred Clarkson took over the business, creating new styles of chandeliers that incorporated the advent of electricity into their work. With the UK having established trade routes to India in the 19th century and India being seen as a potential market for glassware, it was the main export market for F & C Osler products in the 19th century. In 1925, the business was combined with Faraday & Son Ltd and renamed Osler & Faraday Ltd to focus solely on wholesale trade. This involved renovating its London premises and opening new showrooms in Glasgow, Manchester, Belfast, and Cardiff throughout the 1920s. The following years were more difficult, and in 1985, Wilkinson acquired the Osler & Faraday company, including the name and reproduction rights, as well as many of their patterns and designs.