The Polaroid Desk Lamp of 1937 - the design story

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The Polaroid Desk Lamp No. 114 - 1937 - photo courtesy TEAGUE

Although today we associate Polaroid with instant photographs, the company was originally was founded on the invention of polarized film. Edwin Land worked with researchers to develop applications for his new film in the 1930's and were striving to find a successful product. They developed a polarizing lens filter for Eastman Kodak in 1933, which is likely how they connected with Walter Dorwin Teague.   One of those experimental products was a desk lamp that emitted polarized light, reducing the reflective glare and easing eye strain. The first product was a blocky chunk of Bakelite, largely dictated by engineering constraints.  Teague, with staff designer Frank Del Giudice, took those constraints and imagined a new form, the Polaroid Desk Lamp No 114. 

Frank was the first Teague designer to have a formal education in industrial design. (The others either came from architecture, engineering, or graphics.) Frank went to Pratt Institute and consequently studied under Rowena Reed Kostellow. And if you know Ms. Reed's abstract form teachings, you will recognize them immediately in this design. The 3 curvilinear volumetric forms are the paraboloid - dominant, the cone - sub dominant, and the spherical plinth - sub ordinate. 

Although one may think that he was imitating the style of streamlining and automobile fenders, the shape of the shade was functional by nature.  It was based on a mathematical parabola, reflecting the light from the bulb at its focus center and downward as parallel rays. The rays passed through the polarized filter and then onto the desk surface.  The lamp was not commercially successful, but today is a collectible design example of the machine age, and is worth well over $1500 USD.
Frank Del Guidice - Industrial Designer with Teague - 1966

Frank Del Guidice went on to form the Seattle branch of the Teague office to work on the Boeing Stratocruiser, and then all subsequent Boeing aircraft interiors to this day.

Follow the progress of the Walter Dorwin Teague Documentary on Facebook.

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