Robert Dudley Best (1892–1984) was the heir to the world’s largest lighting factory, founded in 1840 in Birmingham. Despite the factory's illustrious history, Best felt that the design of the lights being produced was outdated. In 1925, Best visited the International Modern Design Exhibition in Paris, and inspired by what he saw, he began studying industrial design in Paris and Düsseldorf. During his studies, Best became close friends with Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus movement. Influenced by the Bauhaus era, he made his first sketches, which later developed into the impressive „Bestlite“ lighting design.