Have You Heard of Moss Lamps?

We hadn't, and when we saw the name attached to this vintage pair, we wondered if they were so-named because actual moss was somehow growing on them. It turns out that the lamps have an interesting history, dating from the mid-1930's,

The line of plexiglass Moss lamps were designed and manufactured by Gerry Moss of San Francisco's Moss Manufacturing Company. The concept behind the lamps was that they "do" something, like a value-added function. The ones pictured above (if you haven't already guessed, they're planters too) are tame in comparison to what's out there. The earliest ones just spun, but later iterations included radios, clocks, walkie-talkies, fountains and even aquariums.

• Moss lamps for purchase at Planet Oranj
• The History of Moss lamps on Hipster Haven