W.A.S.Benson 1854 – 1924
The Metalwork Lighting of W.A.S.Benson 1854 – 1924
by William Clegg
The Influences
William Arthur Smith Benson was born in 1854 the son of a stockbroker. He was educated at Winchester College. His maternal grandfather, William Arthur Smith, was a talented Victorian amateur engineer and metal turner; he and Benson were very close from early days spending hours in the metal shop together. After Winchester, Benson studied Politics and Philosophy at New College, Oxford. He came into contact with John Ruskin hearing the importance of naturalistic and Gothick ornament in the Arts. Benson had been observant and curious from an early age. The failure of his subject to inspire him made him restless to become self-employed making artefacts; he left Oxford prematurely to live in London, eventually graduating many years later.