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Stained Glass Desk Lamps and Bankers Lamps: Sizes and Glass

What to check before buying a stained glass desk or bankers lamp: the glass types sellers name, shade sizes that suit a desk, weight, wiring and lead.

By Art Deco Lighting editorial teamUpdated 4 min read10 sources

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A Tiffany Studios Venetian desk lamp with a leaded glass shade in blue, green and amber on a gilt bronze base, New-York Historical Society
A Tiffany Studios Venetian desk lamp with a leaded glass shade in blue, green and amber on a gilt bronze base, New-York Historical SocietyPhoto: the_adverse_possessors (Wikipedia Loves Art) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

A stained glass desk lamp has a shade of cut colored glass joined with copper foil or lead, while a bankers lamp has one curved cased glass shade. Before you buy either, measure the desk against the shade width, check every glass piece for cracks, ask for the lamp’s weight, and plan to replace an old cord before daily use.

What kinds of stained glass desk lamps are there?

Three families of lamp share the name “stained glass desk lamp” in listings:

  • Leaded shade desk lamps. Small Tiffany-style lamps whose shades are built from cut pieces. The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass explains that Tiffany’s craftsmen wrapped each piece in copper foil and soldered them together; the Tiffany-style lamp guide covers the style.
  • Bankers lamps. The green-shaded desk lamp that began with the Emeralite in 1909, now also sold with leaded or stained glass shades. The schoolhouse and bankers lamp guide covers its history and how to date an Emeralite.
  • Slag glass lamps. Flat panels of streaked glass in a metal frame; Collectors Weekly notes slag glass “was a popular material for lampshades.” The art deco table and floor lamp guide shows how they compare with deco pieces.

Bankers lamps in green and stained glass

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Stained, cased or slag: how do you tell the shade glass apart?

A desk lamp listing can call all three “stained glass,” so hold the shade up to a light, or ask the seller for a photo of it lit:

  • Many pieces with dark lines between them is stained glass: cut pieces joined with copper foil and solder, or held in lead cames. The stained glass sconce and ceiling light guide shows how to tell foil from came.
  • One smooth curved piece with a white inner layer is a cased bankers shade. The Corning Museum of Glass defines cased glass as “a layer of glass over a layer of contrasting color,” green over white on the classic bankers lamp.
  • Flat opaque panels with colored streaks, set in a metal frame, are slag glass, which the Corning Museum of Glass describes as a collectors’ name for opaque pressed glass with colored streaks.

Ask which of the three a listing means before you compare prices, because each is a different lamp.

Tiffany-style desk and accent lamps

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What size stained glass lamp fits a desk?

A desk lamp is smaller than most people expect. A few reference points:

Lamp Size Source
Emeralite bankers lamp Shade 8 1/2 in. wide Emeralite history
Emeralite No. 9, two bulbs Shades 10 and 12 in. wide Emeralite history
Donald Deskey lamp, 1927 About 12 in. tall Metropolitan Museum of Art
Tiffany Studios leaded lamp, about 1902 to 1918 26 3/4 x 20 1/2 in., 22 lb Metropolitan Museum of Art

That last lamp is a full table lamp, too tall and heavy for most desks. For a desk, measure the depth from the wall to your chair edge and the height to any shelf above, and choose a shade that leaves room for a keyboard or a book in its pool of light.

What should you check on a used stained glass desk lamp?

A desk lamp gets handled every day, so check it as a working lamp as well as a piece of glass:

  1. Weight and stability. Ask for the weight. A heavy leaded shade on a light base can tip, so the base should sit flat and solid, with no rocking.
  2. The shade fitting. On a bankers lamp, check the arm or clamp that holds the shade and lets it tilt; the bankers guide explains how Emeralite fittings changed. On a leaded shade, check that it sits level on its base.
  3. The glass, lit. Look for cracks and missing pieces with the lamp on. A chip at the rim of a bankers shade is common; a missing piece in a leaded shade is harder to match. A slag glass panel should sit tight in its frame.
  4. The switch and cord. Try the switch, and look at the cord where it leaves the base, the part that bends most on a desk.

Lead and old cords

The Virginia Department of Health lists “came and solder used in making stained glass” among sources of lead, so wash your hands after handling or cleaning a shade. For the cord, the CPSC advises: “Make sure cords are in good condition.” The rewiring guide covers replacing an old one.

Slag glass and leaded desk lamps

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For hanging and wall lights in the same glass, see the stained glass sconce and ceiling light guide. Back to the art deco lighting guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a bankers lamp and a stained glass desk lamp?

A bankers lamp has a single curved shade, classically green cased glass over white, on a brass stand. A stained glass desk lamp has a shade built from many cut pieces joined with copper foil or lead. Some bankers lamps now come with a leaded glass shade, which combines the two.

What size shade suits a desk?

Measure the desk first. The classic Emeralite bankers shade was 8 1/2 inches wide, and the Emeralite history lists 10 and 12 inch shades on a two-bulb model. A small leaded shade suits a narrow desk; a wide one needs a deep desk.

Is slag glass the same as stained glass?

No. The Corning Museum of Glass describes slag glass as opaque pressed glass with colored streaks, a collectors' name. Stained glass shades are built from separate cut pieces, while slag glass lamps usually set flat streaked panels in a metal frame.

Are stained glass lamps safe to handle?

Wash your hands after handling or cleaning one. The Virginia Department of Health lists the came and solder used in stained glass among sources of lead. Keep a lamp with a leaded shade away from small children's reach.

Where can I find a vintage stained glass desk lamp?

Estate sales, antique dealers and online listings all carry them. Ask for photos of the shade lit and unlit, and of any marks. Browse stained glass desk lamps new and used.

Sources

  1. History of Bellova and Emeralite lampsEmeralite.com (collector history)
  2. CasingCorning Museum of Glass
  3. Leaded glassCorning Museum of Glass
  4. What is slag glass?Corning Museum of Glass
  5. Slag Glass LampsCollectors Weekly
  6. Making a Tiffany LampThe Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass
  7. Lamp, Tiffany Studios, about 1902 to 1918The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  8. Table Lamp, Donald Deskey, 1927The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  9. Lead Safety: Information for AdultsVirginia Department of Health
  10. CPSC and NESF Urge Consumers to "Plug Into Electrical Safety"U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Collection: Tiffany-style and leaded glassIntroduction: Art Deco Lighting: How to Recognize and Buy 1920s and 1930s Lamps

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