Gilbert Fox Allom
Gilbert Fox Allom (1873-1955), chairman of Allom Brothers.
1955 Obituary
Gilbert Fox Allom, who died on the 14th April, 1955, at Castle House, Tadworth, Surrey, was born in Kensington in 1873. He was educated at Elstow School, Bedford, and King's College, London. He gained practical experience during six years with Girdlestone, Tatham and Co., where he designed and constructed one of the first enclosed arc-lamps in 1891, and five years with Rashleigh, Phipps and Co., both of London; in 1901 he joined his brother as a partner in the firm of White, Allom and Co. The business of interior decorating with which this firm was mainly concerned led to growing activity in domestic lighting, and Mr. Allom formed a separate company under the name of Allom Brothers in 1905 to carry out electrical contracts in conjunction with White, Allom and Co. The many large private lighting installations he undertook included one of 160 h.p. supplying 2,000 lighting points and about 20 agricultural motors, and a complex communication system at Marlborough House for the Prince of Wales. He specialized in the illumination of tapestries and paintings from an early date and later developed the multiple parabolic reflector associated with his name, which was shown for the first time in one of the flood-lighting installations at the Wembley Empire Exhibition of 1924. Indirect interior lighting was also one of the specialities of his firm, and progress in the design of lighting fittings of many types was such that in due course the general electrical contracting side of their work had to be closed down.
At the time of his death Mr. Allom was Chairman of Allom Brothers, Ltd., and also Chairman of Debenham Storr and Johnson Dymond Ltd. He devoted much time to the study of banking and in 1917 wrote a treatise on "Credit Creation and Principles of Banking."
He joined The Institution as an Associate Member in 1905 and was elected a Member in 1914.