Frederick H.W. Lueders and Glenford N. Dalrymple

Original owner
Peacock Alley, Los Angeles, circa 1975
Thence by descent
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Born in Germany in 1878, Frederick H.W. Lueders immigrated to the United States and by 1901 found himself settled in Santa Barbara, California where he encountered Arts & Crafts artist Elizabeth Eaton Burton. At this time Burton had already begun developing her distinct body of work that incorporated natural motifs and materials, the most signature of which were her inventive lighting designs. A local newspaper announced that Lueders’ began to work for Burton in 1903, referring to the newcomer as "well and favorably known here, (holding) a responsible position in the studio of Mrs. Elizabeth Burton and is an artist of marked ability." Working alongside Burton, Lueders mastered the ability to transform patinated copper into plant-inspired forms and work abalone and conch shells into delicate shades. Though his name is not often credited for the final designs, it is believed that Lueders’ contribution to her oeuvre was significant. 

Lueders continued to collaborate with Burton until 1909. In this year both Lueders and Burton were listed individually as exhibitors at the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition in Seattle, where they each received a gold medal for their copperwork. He subsequently left Burton’s studio to open his own “Handicraft Shop” in Pasadena with a new collaborator Glenford N. Dalrymple. The pair exhibited their work under the name of Lueders & Dalrymple and marked their creations “LD,” a combination of their surname initials. The present “Peacock” table lamp is an exquisite masterwork by Lueders & Dalrymple, showcasing a mastery of materials and the influence of Burton. In the same vein as Burton’s lighting, patinated copper is worked into a natural motif, in this case the intricate plumage of a peacock. The eyespots of each feather are cleverly crafted from abalone shell, the iridescence of which mimics the magnificent range of colors for which peacocks are known. The metal feathers composing the shade are interspersed with additional shell panels, emitting a warm glow when the lamp is illuminated. The partnership of Lueders & Dalrymple was short-lived, lasting only until 1913 when Lueders moved to Compton to teach art. Created in the peak of their partnership, this “Peacock” table lamp is believed to be unique and stands as a testament to their superlative workmanship and their contributions to the Arts & Crafts movement in California. Another one of Lueders’ masterwork lamps was purchased by the Gambles to be placed in their iconic Greene & Greene designed home in Pasadena where it remains today. The only other known table lamp by Lueders is in the collection of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.