Gerry Moss

Moss lamps were a product born of necessity. In 1937, Gerald “Gerry” Moss founded San Francisco’s Moss Manufacturing Company, after previous experience as a lamp wholesaler. When the wholesale building burnt down, Mr. Moss had two options: go into manufacturing, or go out of business. He chose the former.
 
The first Moss lamps were traditional ones, metal-stemmed with fabric shades, intended to blend into, rather than dominate, home decor. Then, World War II intervened. With steel at a premium, luxuries such as metal lamps were given low priority. Forced to come up with a new raw material for the company’s products, Gerry Moss turned to staff designer Duke Smith. Smith had the answer: Plexiglas.
 
Dubbed “plastic” in the Moss literature, Plexiglas (“plexi”) was an acrylic product developed in 1934 by the Rohm & Haas Company. For Moss Manufacturing, Plexiglas had several points in its favor: it was inexpensive, no other company was using it – and most importantly, Plexiglas was not rationed. Lamp production at Moss could continue, although now with an entirely new focus.

Moss Manufacturing Company, San Francisco, CA