Policeman's Lantern - tin with a glass bulls-eye lens which magnified the light. Often with a whale oil burner, later with a kerosene burner. Kerosene was used from 1854 and by 1864 it was a universal fluid. Mid 1800s.
Miner's Folding Lantern with isinglass window, collapsible. Used a candle and included a bright tin reflector. The same basic design appeared in World War I as government issue. Patent Jan. 24, 1865.
Tin Lantern with isinglass. Ready to fold for carrying.
Wooden Candle Lantern with peg construction. Wire snipe hinges and wire latch. Never had handle. Set in entrance to meeting house or church. 18th or 19th century.
Star Tumbler Lantern Globe used a tumbler glass (drinking glass.) Patented by Taylor Manufacturing Co. New Britain, Conn. Jan. 13, 1874
Hand-Carried Wooden Lantern. Peg construction, wire handled with snipe hinges. No handles, so used in permanent location. American or European. 18th or early 19th century.
Wooden Candle Lantern with candle.
Combination Candle Lantern with Brass Candle Holder. Isinglass window with a movable reflector and a place for matches in the bottom. Two extra candles can be stored beside candle for lighting. Sits on an adjustable stand which can be used as a handle.
150 Years of progress from 1 candle power to 12 candle power flashights
Pierced Tin Lantern. For many years was referred to as a Paul Revere (erroneously) lantern. Pierced design kept the flame from being extinguished. Used on farms because if turned over, not likely to cause a fire. Late 18th to early 19th century.
Pierced Tin Lantern with lighted candle. Pierced design from inside so that sharp edges on outside surface deflect wind.
Tin Lantern with a Ringed Handle and Glass Panels. Would have had a solid piece of tin in back for reflection. For candle, or later, kerosene. A burner was placed in bottom for kerosene. Parkers patent, 1853, Proctorsville, VT.
Parkers patent, 1853, Proctorsville, VT.
Skater's Lantern. Brass construction with an emerald green globe. Late 1800s.
"Little Mascot." Red and green glass windows on side. 1880s to early 1900s.
ISINGLASS - is a form of mica which is a transparent mineral made from watery silicates of aluminum or potassium. Mica is heat resistant and in the 1800s was used for windows in lanterns and wood stoves.
Skater's Lantern. Brass chain handle. Burned kerosene. Late 1800s to early 1900s.
Wire Framed Lantern. Cast iron base. 1875 to 1900.
Brass Lantern with hollow brass ring for carrying. Brass wire guards. Commonly used by firemen. Font removed from the bottom. Manufactured by D. D. Miller, 190 Water St., New York City. From 1870 to 1920.
Clear Glass Molded Pedestal. Designed to raise a lamp or candle for better lighting.
LANTERN - a portable light with a handle for carrying and a window to protect the flame from wind.
KEROSENE - was used from 1859 and by 1864 it was a universal fluid.
FONT - the tank or reservoir of the lamp that holds the liquid fuel.
Brass Cup and Saucer Lamp. Saucer base caught dripping kerosene.1870s to 1880s.
Wooden Oil Lamp. Turned wooden stem and wooden base. Font is turned in two pieces. Tin liner inside the font. Made of wood for safety reasons. Chimney is a later two-mold chimney. G. M Stevens patent, Dec. 28, 1875.
Tin Wall Lamp with reflector and two match holders. Striker at base. Removable tin font and a #3 chimney with flange base. 1870s to 1890s.
Brass Perkins and House Safety Lamp. Cleveland and New York Non-Explosive Lamp Co. with an E. Miller Co. burner. Patents 1857, 1866, 1871.
Bottom view of Safety Lamp. Center draft with air openings at the bottom of the font. Also seen with cast iron or brass base. Hinged burner allows wick to be trimmed without removing the chimney.
Drawing of Perkins and House Center Draft Safety Lamp by Carl Stickney.
Cup and Saucer Lamp. The cup is inverted and has a pontil mark. The saucer was used to catch spilled oil. Around 1875.
Cottage Pattern Font with hexagonal milk glass base. Patent pertained to connecting font and base without glue or metal connector. Patent Oct. 7, 1875.
Paper Mache Lamp. Font was molded in two pieces. Tin liner was inserted. Tin lined to prevent fuel from soaking into lamp. Fiber Ware Co. under G. M. Stevens. Portland, Maine. Patent 1875.
Britannia Hand Lamp. Made in U.S. 1870s.
Lamp with Cobalt Blue Font with Owl & Shield pattern. Brass stem and milk glass base. 1860s.
Peg Lamp. Cut glass. Made to fit into a candlestick with glass peg when kerosene was available. Many of English origin. 1860 to 1890.
PEWTER - a metal alloy and until 1970 pewter contained lead and was unsafe for food containers. Modern pewter is about 91 percent tin, 7.5 percent antimony, and 1.5 percent copper.
BRITANNIA - a metal alloy mostly of lead, copper, and tin with antimony added for hardness. It looks like pewter, but is harder.
Peg Lamp. Fitted into brass candle holder.
Composite Lamp with Molded Glass Font. Brass connector and black glass base. Removable ornate cast brass prism ring with cut glass prisms. 1860s.
Mercury Glass (silvered.) Double walled blown glass, pewter collar and connector. Fluted glass stem. Originally had a pewter burner and round font. Made by the Boston Silver Glass Company. Late 1850s to 1860s.
Lomax Oil Guard Lamp had a built in drip catcher to catch any spilled oil on top of the font. Patent Sept. 20, 1871.
Ripley Lamp. Designed with two handles for ease in passing from one person to another. Has a match striking surface between the font and the base. Manufactured by the Ripley Co. Patented 1868 & 1870.
Composite Lamp. Inverted pear shaped font with paneled bulls eye pattern. Flint glass, brass stem, marble base. Late 1850s to 1860s.
#1 Brass Four Prong Burner with Wick. #1 is the smallest of the burners.
Transition Lamp - Free Blown and Mold Blown Lamp. Transition because the standard sized collar has been used with whale oil, burning fluid, and kerosene burner. Vienna burner and chimney with a flanged base. Free blown base with pontil mark. Jones burner. 1858.
PONTIL - A pontil mark or punt mark is the scar where the pontil, punty or punt was broken from a work of blown glass. The presence of such a scar indicates that the object was blown freehand instead of cast in a mold.
COMPOSITE - Composite lamp is made of more than one material. Example: glass, metal, or stone.
Blue Glass Boot Match Holder. Late 1800s.
Aluminum Match Holder. Engraved "1000 Islands" oak leaf and bird. 1900.
Angle Lamp was designed to avoid shadows below lamp. Also found in a variety of hanging lamps with two, three, or four burners. With a clear chimney and a milk glass shade. Font was solid brass or coated. Commonly used in stores or railroad cabooses. Popular from the 1890s to 1920s.
Blue Glass Lamp. Chieftain pattern font. Possibly flint glass. Made by US Glass Co. About 1870.
Composite Lamp with Milk Glass Font and Stem. Hand painted decoration. 1880s to 1890s.
Fishscale Pattern Double Handed Hand Lamp. Double handed made it safe to carry from place to place. Easier to hand it to another person. 1890 to 1910.
Erin Fan Table Oil Lamp. Green glass. 1880 to 1900.
Brass Burner with tab and flange. Glass chimney.
Composite Lamp with frosted and ruby flashed font. Brass connector and iron base. 1870.
Box match holder. Gilded fruit and leaves on cover. 1850 to 1860.
Amber Glass Hand Lamp with turkey foot (or plume) pattern. Variety of sizes and types. About 1900s.
Ribbed Pattern Font with cast iron base with finger grip. Hand painted chimney. 1880s.
Moon and Star Composite Lamp. Made by several different companies. This one made by Adams & Co.
Celluloid Lamp designed for safety. Celluloid was a tough material that was resistant to water, oils, and dilute acids. Capable of low cost production in a variety of colors. Capable of mass production about 1900s.
Carved Wooden Shoes on a Leaf Match Holder. Late 1800s.
Lustre Medium Green Candle Holder with cut crystal decorations. Early to mid 1800s.
