GILBERT A. WATROUS (1918 - 1991) was born in Tulare, California, and attended the Illinois Institute of Design. In 1951, his magnetic floor lamp design received a “Good Design” award from the Museum of Modern Art's Low Cost Lighting Competition. Heifitz Manufacturing Co. subsequently put this light and a number of variations of the design, including table models, into production.

(Image Credit: MoMA; Source: Modern San Diego)