What is a bankers lamp?

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.