Poul Henningsen designed the three-shade system back in 1925-1926. The first lights using the system were designed by PH in cooperation with Louis Poulsen for an exhibition in Paris. This partnership continued right up until his death in 1967. Throughout his life, PH sought to create glare-free light, direct light where it was most needed, and create soft shadows, using incandescent bulbs as a light source. PH 2/1 Table is a member of the 3-shade family which numbers 30 lamps today, including three for outdoor use. Thus PH did not just design a light, but an entire system – around a thousand different models have been produced over the years.