Panther TV Lamp Resource
From the late 1940's through the 1950's, television sales grew exponentially in the United States, and millions of people bought their first television set. Special lamps that provided indirect light to reduce eye strain while watching the bright, low resolution images in darkened rooms were called TV lamps, and were placed on top of the television set to light the wall behind it. Many appliance and furniture stores gave TV lamps away as complimentary gifts with the sale of a TV set or livingroom furniture (I learned this from my father-in-law who delivered furniture back in the day). Panther themed TV lamps were very popular.
I have been collecting panther TV lamps for over 30 years and have found that, even with experience, it can be difficult to tell one panther lamp from another. This site is meant to point out particular distinguishing features of similar stalking panther designs by Jacqueline, Rite Lite and others. This is not a price guide. This information may not necessarily be useful to identify the designer, manufacturer, or potter, nor is this a comprehensive list of all panther lamps. This project was intended to catalog my collection, but I've learned a lot in the process, and feel obliged to share what I have learned.
