original hard to find and highly desirable rewired vintage industrial c. 1938-9 dazor floor task lamp with weighted cast iron base. the machine age lamp is identified as the original and/or very first "floating arm" task light designed (later patented) and fabricated by dazor beginning in 1938. the fully adjustable lamp is comprised largely of steel with a yellow brass paddle switch general electric edison socket. the localized lighting is accomplished by the patented floating arm supported by a strong spring force, acting through a shifting fulcrum. the rolled rim oversized steel reflector is affixed firmly to the brass socket. dazor was established in 1938, when harry dazey teamed with albert perbal, a professor at washington university, to form the company. dazey was the first to come up with the idea for the "floating arm" portable light, for which the company received a patent. at the time, portable lights were simply table models. the firm had a dozen employees in 1938 and moved into the second floor of the building at 4483 duncan ave., where the company is located to this day. the government was the biggest client during world war ii when as many as 165 employees worked in two shifts to produce lamps which were shipped in box cars. the federal government used dazor lamps to conserve energy during the war because overhead lighting was much more expensive. dazor also was the first to put a fluorescent lamp in a portable task light. the lamp was first used in a show in the 1938 world's fair in a display for general electric. the dazor light was particularly popular with draftsman throughout the second half of the 20th century.