Coleman hollow wire lighting

The Model 1A hollow wire lamp was made by the Hydro-Carbon Co., of Wichita, Kansas, a precursor to The Coleman Lamp Co. Model 1 was made from 1906 to 1917. This lamp, with a #60 inverted globe, is in Hidenori Masuda’s collection.

Coleman used the Hydro-Carbon Company name from 1906 until 1912 before becoming the Coleman Lamp Co. This hollow wire lamp has an embossed badge soldered on the left arm (upper image): COLEMAN LAMP, No. 33, H.C. Co. WICHITA, KAS. (lower image). Model 33 was advertised to produce 600 cp and was made from 1907 to 1917. This lamp, in Bruce Dolen’s collection, has an embossed Jena globe so this combination of lamp and globe was No. 33B (Vantiger).

The Model 11Z hollow wire lamp was made from 1910 to 1927. This lamp has a #98 prism shade and is in Hidenori Masuda’s collection.

Model 4 was made from 1912 to 1916. This Model 4P, the pear shape design, is one of 299 that were made. Seen here with the #307 ribbed shade, this lamp is in Hidenori Masuda’s collection.

A Coleman 18V hollow wire lamp with the #304 large inverted shade. Less than 5000 Model 18 lamps were manufactured between 1913-1916. This lamp was restored by Jim Nichols and is in Hidenori Masuda’s collection.

Coleman also made No. 180, an outdoor version of their No. 18 fixture, from 1913 to ’15. This lamp, in Ron Becker’s collection, includes the 16″ diameter metal shade that protects the glass globe (upper image). The burner (lower image) is the same in both No. 18 above and No. 180 here. The burner surrounds the fuel line which helps transfer heat from the mantles once the lamp is generating.

Coleman manufactured No. 7 from 1912 to 1917. This No. 7W has the 311 etched shade (left image) hence the W suffix. In the right image, the gas tip (below the “A”) is controlled by turning the 7/16″ valve stem nut (to the lower left of “B”). The air intake tube and regulator are to the left and above “C.” This hollow wire light is in Dwayne Hanson’s collection.

Coleman Model Nos. 9, 13, 15, and 17 were all made from 1913 to 1920. All used the No. 9 burner – see below under No. 15. This Model 9R, in Ron Becker’s collection, is 21″ long. The “R” suffix is for the 14″ diameter steel enameled shade that hides the mantles in this view. Above the shade, there is a smaller white enameled metal heat deflector and another white enameled reflector mounted above the nickel plated canopy to hide the ceiling connection and to further deflect the heat.

 

Coleman’s Model 13 hollow wire lamp is seen here with the #78 half frosted shade. Model 13 differed from Model 9 above in having a usually longer pipe from the ceiling and with a decorative sphere or “hickey ball” in the middle of its length to hide the union of the lamp pipe to the ceiling support pipe (left image). This fixture is 27 1/2″ long; the length of each lamp could be cut to fit the location. This lamp is in Ron Becker’s collection. The lamp on the right was restored by Jim Nichols and is in Hidenori Masuda’s collection.

Coleman shipped 618 Model 15 chandelier lamps from 1913 to 1920. This model is comprised of two, 1-mantle lights on either side of a larger 3-mantle light. This lamp is in Ron & Charleen Becker’s collection. Compare to the larger Model 17SA below.

The No. 9 burner assembly for the Model 15 chandelier lamp above includes a hemispherical steel mixing chamber casting, three burner tubes below to the mantles, a generator between the burner tubes, and an orifice stamped with a 5 (lower image) in the large L-shaped piece just below the burner caps (upper right image). The two arms leading to the other two mantles (upper left image) were removed for this image. In Models and 13 above there are no arms, the openings are plugged, and the orifice may be stamped 3; in Model 17 below there are four arms and the orifice may be stamped 7 (Hanson). This Model 15 lamp is in Dwayne Hanson’s collection.

Coleman shipped 845 Model 17SA lamps from 1913 to 1920. This model is comprised of four, 1-mantle lamps surrounding a larger 3-mantle lamp. The lamp on the left is in Ron & Charleen Becker’s collection; the image was taken by Leonard Johnson. The lamp on the right is in Jim & Jan Nichols’ collection.

Hollow wire lamp Model 250 was an outside hollow wire lamp that was the basis for the Arc lantern. As on the lantern this lamp has the # 316 clear globe. This lamp model was made from 1914 to 1926. This lamp is in Hidenori Masuda’s collection.

Model 25X was another indoor 300 cp model that was made from 1914 to 1926. The shade is # 311 frosted. This model is all original and is in Hidenori Masuda’s collection.

Side (left) and burner (right) views of a Model 27L indoor hollow wire lamp by Coleman. The L suffix designates the cone-shaped opal shade. This model was made from 1914 to 1928. This lamp is in Leonard Johnson’s collection.

This is an image of a Model 27L running. The lamp is in Jim and Jan Nichols’ collection.

Another example of a Model 27 lamp, This one is identified on the crown (lower image).
The shade is not original to the lamp. This lamp is in Joshua Culp’s collection.

Model 31 is a Quick-Lite Wall or Bracket Lamp. This model was shipped from 1915 to 1927 (Hiram Strong’s records – Becker). With the 307 shade (lower image) it was Model 31P. It also came with a 317 shade as Model 31R. This lamp is in Ron & Charleen Becker’s collection.

This unmarked hollow wire lamp appears in Coleman’s subsidiary Yale Light Co. catalog circa 1917 as their Model 40 Harp Match-Liter system lamp. The mixing chamber casting (right image) is the same design as one used by the former Yale Mfg. Co. that you can see here. Coleman used this harp design on their No. 4 hollow wire lamp that you can see near the top of this page. This lamp is in Ron Becker’s collection.

Model 35 M was made from 1918 to 1927. This later model used a Q99 generator in a Quick Lite burner. The shade is the #74 plain opal. This lamp is in Hidenori Masuda’s collection.

Roland Chevalier mounted a lantern tank outfitted with a stove valve (top image) above his 35 M hollow wire light to make it more portable (middle image) when running (bottom image). The fixture is missing the connecting ring above the frame; the smoke bell is a replacement.

Four thousand four hundred forty six Model 30P hollow wire lights were shipped by Coleman from 1919 to 1928. Coleman called this model the Pendant Lamp. This lamp is in Ron & Charleen Becker’s collection.

This is an image of a Model 30P running. The lamp is in Jim and Jan Nichols’ collection.

Hollow wire lighting systems required fuel to operate. This Coleman 653D Fuel Supply Tank held 6 gallons of gasoline and 4 gallons of air space, to run lights for several days. Hollow wire is flexible copper tubing, 1/8″ in outside diameter, which was connected between the tank and the light fixtures. This tank was found in unused, mint condition and is in Hidenori Masuda’s collection.

Another Coleman hollow wire tank, this one probably predates the one above. The air pump is a separate part on this model. This tank, in Joseph Sparks’ collection, has a total capacity of about 8 gallons.

This hollow wire tank held about 1.5 gallons of fuel; the rest of the volume was occupied by air under pressure. The tank is the same one Coleman used to build a Model 5552 Handy Gas Plant. You can see a 5552 Handy Gas Plant on this page. This tank is in Greg Rubin’s collection.

This 3 gallon hollow wire tank is older than the ones above as it is stenciled Mfgd. by Hydro Carbon Co. Coleman used the Hydro Carbon name until 1913 when they became the Coleman Lamp Co. This tank is in Jim Nichol’s collection.

This foot pump was made by Coleman for pressurizing hollow wire systems. The brass band holding the handle is labeled: THE COLEMAN SERVICE TIRE PUMP, THE COLEMAN LAMP CO., WICHITA, KANSAS U.S.A. This pump is in Jim & Jan Nichols’ collection.

Hollow wire was often put into a groove along the walls and ceiling then covered with a finishing material. Coleman made this 5 3/4″ long tool was used to continue the groove into the corners into which the hollow wire was placed. This tool is in a Coleman museum in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

© 2000-2023 Terry Marsh