Although most people notice the bankers lamp after seeing one in movies and TV-shows, some observant spotters may have come across one in a courtroom or library. Chances are you have seen one in a library somewhere, as they are not as common in courtrooms anymore. Nevertheless, there’s is a reason why they tend to appear in banks, libraries, and courtrooms in movies, it’s because they used to be a common feature there.
The answer to this is relatively simple. With the turn of the previous century, many public buildings were fitted with electric lighting, which meant that they needed electric lamps. It just turns out that around this time, the bankers lamp was rising to prominence.
Due to its popularity among the upper class, and the belief that the green shade was psychologically soothing and caused less eyestrain, they were fitted/introduced there in large numbers. With time, they became so common that they essentially became omnipresent with these buildings.
Read more about the history of the bankers lamp.
The reason behind it
The first electric lamps were fitted with light bulbs that gave off a quite sharp light which could cause eyestrain when exposed to it for long hours. This led to the idea of developing something to reduce the eyestrain from the light source.
It was said that green shades had the ability to block out certain wavelengths that caused eyestrain, which lead to the development of the green visors which were used by bookkeepers and accountants back I the days.
It was thought that lessening the eyestrain increased productivity. It was this combination the emeralite was marketed on, as it was marketed as a tool that could increase productivity, rather than just a nice lamp. In addition, individuals working desk jobs needed efficient, focused lighting, which the bankers lamp could provide with its characteristic green shade.
Although this theory of green light shades being psychologically soothing, causing less eyestrain and enhancing productivity has more or less been debunked since it is easy to understand why. The green shade gives off a comfortable light, which makes the theory believable. In combination with some clever marketing and design, it is no wonder they sold well, cementing their position as the classic desk lamp.
Are they still there today?
Today, most banks, courtrooms, and libraries have other types of lamps, however, they are still used in movie scenes set in any of these locations. Some examples include this bank scene from “500 days of summer”, this library scene from David Fincher’s “seven”, or these courtroom scenes from “law-abiding citizen” and “legally blonde”.
Read more about the bankers lamp in movies.
You are, however, likely to encounter a green bankers lamp or at least lamps with green light shades, in older libraries like the Boston public library, the French national library in Paris and in the royal library of Copenhagen.
List of libraries with green lamps shades/bankers lamps:
- Boston public library (USA)
- National Library of France (Paris)
- Deep river public library (Ontario, Canada)
- Madison historical library (Wisconsin, USA)
- German national library (Leipzig)
- National Library of Greece (Athens)
- National Library of Ireland (Dublin)
- National Library of Norway (Oslo)
- Royal Library of Copenhagen (Denmark)
- Library of the Hungarian parliament (Budapest)
- Szabo Ervin library (Budapest, Hungary)
- Vienna university library (Vienna, Austria)
- State Library of Victoria (Melbourne, Australia)
- George Peabody Library (Baltimore, USA)
- Grand bibliothèque Montreal (Canada)
- Russian state library (Moscow)
If you know about a library using green lamp shades, or bankers lamps, be sure to comment below so I can update the list.
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The Boston Athenaeum. I was giving a tour today and someone asked me why the lamps were green in libraries and I didn’t know…so thank you for this post.
Carolyn, a Docent at the BA
Carolyn, this comment made my day! The Boston Athenaeum is exactly the kind of place these lamps were made for.. a 200-year-old library with green-shaded lamps on the reading tables is about as authentic as it gets. It’s an honor to know the site helped answer a visitor’s question during one of your tours.
If it ever comes up again: the short version for your visitors is that the green glass was designed to soften the glare of early electric bulbs and be gentle on readers’ eyes during long study sessions.. the color quickly became associated with quiet concentration, and it stuck. Feel free to borrow that!
Thank you for taking the time to write, and for the wonderful work docents like you do. If I’m ever in Boston, the Athenaeum just moved to the top of my list.
Sean
The House of Lords library in the UK built in the 1800’s.
You can see some of the green lamps in this video https://fb.watch/1DNnJ7DA-2/
What a fantastic example, thank you for sharing Robin! The House of Lords Library is a perfect illustration of how deep the tradition runs: those long reading tables lined with green-shaded lamps against the Pugin woodwork are exactly the image most of us have in mind when we think of a classic library. It’s also a nice reminder that the green lamp tradition isn’t just American, since it took hold in great reading rooms on both sides of the Atlantic. Thanks for the video link, and for adding another landmark to the list!
The State Library of Victoria has them.
Another great one, thank you Vikki! The State Library Victoria in Melbourne is a stunning example, especially the La Trobe Reading Room under that huge octagonal dome, with the green lamps radiating out along the reading tables. Between this, the Boston Athenaeum and the House of Lords, this comment section is turning into a world tour of great reading rooms. Keep them coming!
I have 2, One I paid $75.00 at auction and the other one I got today at a consignment store for $4.00. They are both the same. I love them. Have both in my study. I see them all the time on Perry Mason.
Hello Mariann
Wow, what a steal! congratulations
Sean
Great article!
The Library of Czech Academy of Science in Prague has green lampshades too.
Hey
Thank you, will be added
Sean
The Foreign Office UK
Will be added
Thank you
It’s good to know that green lampshades can block certain wavelengths of light that cause eyestrain. My wife loves to read, but the light from our lamp hurts her eyes when she uses it for long periods of time. I’ll be looking further into my options for green lampshades to surprise my wife with.
Hey there! There are green lamps at National Parliamentary Library of Ukraine, Kyiv.
Duly Noted
thanks Taras
Grand Bibliothèque/BAnQ in Montreal, QC, Canada uses green lampshades too, and also Russian State Library in Moscow, Russia.
Thank you, will be added!