In 1921 Bernard-Albin GRAS designed a series of lamps for use in offices and in industrial environments. The GRAS lamp, as it was subsequently called, was astounding in its simple, robust and yet very ergonomic design. There are neither screws nor welded joints in the basic form. In 1927 the Ravel company purchased the patent and started production of the Gras lamps.

Bernard-Albin Gras was one of the most innovative designer of the 20th century. The functional aesthetic of his lamps and especially the design of details such as those of the arms, stems, brackets and bases were truly original and far ahead of his time. Early on Le Corbusier was seduced by the modern design and user-friendliness of the lamps and became one of Bernard-Albin GRAS’s most enthusiastic supporters.