Like me, you have probably noticed this rather eye-catching lamp in a movie or TV-show somewhere. Once it catches your eye, it seems it appears everywhere, which it kinda does.
This neat lamp is known as a bankers lamp. It has a design featuring a green glass lamp shade, typically fitted to a brass base. The design goes back over 100 years, and central to its success was the belief that green shades protected against eyestrain from the harsh light given off by the early light bulbs.
What’s so special with the design?
The design for the banker’s lamp was patented by its inventor, engineer Harrison D. McFaddin over 100 years ago. The patent described “a new, original and ornamental design for lampshades”. When the first lamp saw the light of day it featured a solid brass base holding an emerald-colored cased glass shade, housing a single light bulb.
Although the brass base had many design changes over the years, what made the lamp so characteristic was the green glass shade with its smooth curves and gently sloped front end which shielded the user from the intense light of the light bulb, while still illuminating the workplace.
Why are they called bankers lamps?
Originally, it was not known as the banker’s lamp, but as the Emeralite. A combination of emerald and light, due to the color of the characteristic glass shade. The lamp became very popular within the banking industry.
At the time of its introduction, light bulbs gave off a very intensive and harsh light that was uncomfortable to look at. It was thought that working in this intensive light could cause eye-strain.
At the same time, it was a popular belief that green shades could lessen this eyestrain, especially among those in vision-intensive, detailed-oriented occupations such as telegraphers, copy editors and accountants.
Because of this, it was common in these occupations wore those green visors from the late 19th to the middle of the 20th century. The Emeralite capitalized on this belief, and through some clever marketing, it became the favorite desk lamp in among bank employees and executives, so much that it is most widely known as the banker’s lamp today.
Why does it appear s in movies all the time?
Well, there is a short answer and there are many reasons. One is that it is a widely known design that catches the eye of the viewer. Another is that it gives a sense of nostalgia and authenticity to the scene, especially in scenes set in a library or bank.
If you are interested you can read my article about the banker’s lamp in movies. Here I give lots of examples where you might have seen it before and some of the reasons behind its popularity in the movie industry.
Where you can get one:
The company behind the original banker’s lamp was dissolved in the 1960s. The remaining original lamps from before WW2 is sought after as antiques. Getting your hands on one might not that easy, but given some effort, you might just be lucky.
You can read more about where to find an original Emeralite in this article. Here I give you some pointers on what to look for to make sure it’s the real deal, and how much you should be prepared to pay.
If you just want a cool bankers lamp, there are plenty of retailers selling bankers lamps all around the world. One of the best places to get a bankers lamp is Amazon.com. Here they have plenty of bankers lamps in different styles and colors. You can also check out my buyers guide where I give lots of tips on how and where to get a bankers lamp that you like, and what you should be aware of before purchasing in-store or online.
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Seen this lamp in so many shows and movies, it’s remarkable that it shows up so much.
Right? Once you notice it, you can’t unsee it! It shows up everywhere — from The Godfather to Mad Men to basically every law office and library scene ever filmed. Set designers love it because it instantly signals “serious work happens here” without a word of dialogue. There’s a reason for that: these lamps lit real banks, law firms, and libraries for most of the 20th century, so the association runs deep.
I actually wrote a whole article about exactly this — you can find it here: The green desk lamp in movies and TV shows. Thanks for the comment, glad the site could put a name to the lamp you’ve been spotting all these years!
Is there any concern, different in how the shade is attached, screwed on?
Looking at used ones, I have seen inside rather flat nuts that screw up against the glass, others two conical shaped nut, the nose end piece up against the shade.
Good eye Ocracoke.. that’s a detail most people never notice! Both systems exist and both work, but they behave a bit differently.
The two conical (acorn-style) nuts with the nose end against the shade are the more traditional setup, and they have a practical advantage: the cone naturally centers itself in the mounting hole of the glass, so the shade sits straight and the pressure is distributed around the rim of the hole rather than on one flat spot.
Flat nuts against the glass are fine too, BUT only if there’s a washer (felt, fiber, or rubber) between the metal and the glass. Metal tightened directly against glass creates stress points, and combined with the heat cycles from the bulb, that’s how shades develop cracks around the mounting holes over time. On older lamps these washers are often worn out or missing entirely, so if you’re buying used, that’s worth checking.
Two things I’d look at on any used lamp: (1) small chips or hairline cracks around the mounting holes — usually a sign someone overtightened it or the washers are gone, and (2) whether the nuts thread on smoothly. Either way, the golden rule is the same: snug, never tight. The nuts only need to hold the shade in place, not clamp it.
Hope that helps.. enjoy the hunt, some of those vintage ones are real gems!
Sean
I have always wondered about those lamp and found your website.
Welcome, and thanks for the comment! You’re not alone — a lot of people recognize the green shade instantly (from old movies, libraries, or the Emeralite originals from the early 1900s) without knowing much about the lamp itself. That’s exactly why I started this site. Have a look around, and if you have any questions about choosing one, just ask!
Hi,
I have a banker style lamp with a metal banker type shade, green outside and white inside. It swivels on a spherical connector with serrations and screw to lock it. The base has an angular art deco sort of look and appears to be copper plated on a brass base since the copper has worn of in some places exposing a yellow metal. It looks quite old. Is this likely to be the metal shaded ones that the company made during WW II?
Thanks
Harry
Hello there Harry
It is difficult to tell without being able to see it, however, as the emeralite became popular, many replica models appeared. While it could be the real deal, it might also be a replica despite being old.
Sean