Banker Lamps

Bankers lamps have been used regularly for about a century, with most of the early uses on bankers' desks and in office spaces where people needed to be able to see paperwork clearly. Many banks, offices and similar spaces use the traditional green-shaded bankers lamps today. We've become familiar with the look of the green glass and the shape, but today's banker lamps are breaking out of that traditional mold.

Because this type of light is a good one for concentrated work, many people appreciate the style a great deal. Gooseneck lamps and other curved and movable lamps are also popular for desk work, but many people appreciate tradition and classic looks so they opt for lights that at least resemble a banker's light. Most have a brass base that usually has some sort of design work, just enough to add a bit of interest to the base. A green glass shade that's oblong and very curved and cupped to focus the light exactly downward is the top. Classic lights have a pull-cord chain.

Today's styles vary a great deal from the classic while still using the same name. Some have a flat base with only a single tube holding up the shade of the light which might not even be made of glass at all. Some very ornate styles have stained-glass shades, perhaps done in the style of a Tiffany lamp. Others have shades shaped like circles, cones, squares, ovals and the classic rectangle.

The green glass has given way to, not only stained glass designs, but a great deal of colors. A teenager might need a lamp for her desk for homework, and a purple-glass shaded bankers lamp may be ideal. These lights can be found with shades in a variety of colors and designs today, so the only real limit is your imagination and your sense of style.

A fun style for a kid's room could even be a classically shaped lamp with a clear or white-frosted shade. Light bulbs in different colors can be used to give it an updated style and fit into a funky décor. But the class bankers lamp is still the choice of many who like the traditional look of an office or library. For those who prefer the traditional style with a modernized look, a white or off-white shade on a base with less detail and modern sleek lines fits perfectly into a contemporary room.