as explained by aijah: meaning it’s a hot take, a little janky, but fundamentally accurate.
whether you know about it or not, the bankers lamp is an eye catching staple in the lighting and decor world. it’s rounded green lamp shade attached to it’s elegant brass base is a starter piece, a friendly nod to vintage, and completely functional and in style contemporarily. originally named the Emeralite via it’s emerald green lamp shade and the light of the lamp, this lamp is both an indicator of marketing gold and truly timeless innovation.
despite the shade being available in other colors, the green became the most popular and distinguishable. there were all types of claims about what the green shade promoted in terms of focus, concentration, and psychological health. similar to today, the more it can do for us, the more likely we are to buy in. so you’re telling people of 1909 that with this lamp, you’re going to be able to do your job better? sign them up! to be completely honest, i can’t really conceptualize what it was like in 1909 so i’m not going to try, but i can deduce there was a level of desperation. cause what in the hell is a 1909? anyways, the design was patented by New York City, American engineer, Harrison D. McFaddin. the lamp was designed as “a new, original and ornamental design for lamp shades” and that it was and still is. i may not know what a 1909 is, but i do know what a 2023 is and the allure is persistent.
the design is primarily very simple, but as additional companies expanded upon the design, some vintage bankers lamps become more decorative stocked with accessories like ashtrays, inkwells, cigar and pen holders. it seems funny to take a lamp in it’s very basic form and make it do tricks, but again, today our lamps now have phone charging capabilities, can dim with the tap of a finger, and can change colors. in America, we take something good and the next initiative is to make it work for us.
why is it short named the bankers lamp?
the Emeralite was embraced by financial institutions and they ordered the lamps in large quantities. in addition to it being visually appealing, the bankers lamp also was thought to improve worker efficiency and promote concentration and focus. the green in the bankers lamp perpetuated the psychological and symbolic qualities of being soothing and therefore impacting production in a positive way. it was marketed to be easy on the eyes encouraging people to work longer and harder with less strain. there is no scientific evidence that this is true, but alas can i get a pair of blue light glasses? just in case. well, 1909, i’m starting to get you.
in the “prewar period”, whatever that means, the lamp became a symbol of elegance because not all homes in America or Europe had electricity which continued to suggest prestige. the places that had the most of these lamps were again found in financial institutions amongst detailed oriented occupations like accounting, auditing, and budgeting. to this day, the setting and interior of the most highly paying jobs have an emphasis on lighting, comfortability, and the most innovative and newly developed technologies. with time, the elegance of the lamp paired with the beliefs around psychological benefits forced it’s popularity in libraries, law offices, and at academic desks.
knowing about the items that i love is a huge part of the passion i have for un.eg&o. to learn and understand the origins and history of the vintage pieces that cross my path today is homage that i love to pay. the Emeralite or bankers lamp is a piece i will stock in the shop as often as i possibly can. with the hope that we can all create something just as legendary as the lamp itself, under it’s soft, earthy, and tranquil emerald light.
photos via Pinterest. Photo credit to: © Brian Jannsen/Alamy of the Reading room of the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève photo. photo credit to Bruce Bleier for photos in a 1931 catalog.