These wall or bracket lanterns were made for the South East Queensland Railway. For lack of a better model name they are referred to as SEQR lamps (McRae). Partial labels on a couple of these lanterns identify the maker as The Akron Light Co., 395 Collins St., Melbourne (Australia) (Bauer, McRae). The lantern uses a single mantle, is match lighting, and requires a separate pump. The lantern in the top row is in Alex Brasch’s collection; the one on the bottom is in Peter Cunnington’s collection.
Aladdin Industries PTY. Ltd., Sydney, Australia, made “Storm-proof” Model 1A lanterns after importing lanterns from Sweden (Hodson). These 1A lanterns, in Peter Cunnington’s collection, are finished in brass (left), and with a red fiber wheel, black paint (center), and chrome (right). These latter two have plastic valve wheels.
This Aladdin Australia lantern was made by the Swedish company, Radius, and was imported to Australia in the 1930’s as Model 14A (McRae). This 300 cp kerosene lantern, in Jason Tyler’s collection, is the same as Radius Models 119 & 115. The fuel valve/tip cleaner (lower image) is a horizontal lever projecting from the base rest (McRae).
This is a Bi-Aladdin Model 400F with the stampings in French. Neil McRae, whose collection this is in, believes that Willis & Bates, a UK company, made the valve, burners, and possibly the ventilator, but the rest was made by Aladdin Paris, in France. It resembles the 300X Bialaddin by Willis & Bates except that it has a brown control knob and the stamping is right on the fount.
This Ditmar Maxim Model 520 lantern is marked with serial # K1125 that was applied by the maker, Meinrad Aschwanden, Switzerland. The valve wheel, fount, and manometer are marked Ditmar and/or Made in Austria reflecting the origin of those parts. This lantern, in Jürgen Breidenstein’s collection, has a lighting hole in the globe. This is a kerosene fueled, alcohol preheated, 350 cp lantern.
This Austramax Model 200 lantern was manufactured by Austramax Pty Ltd, West Brunswick, Australia. The preheater cup for this kerosene lantern (upper left) and the mixing chamber casting (upper right) are in the style made by Coleman in the mid-1930s. Note the mixing chamber casting has the same triangular set of “nipples” that served as datum targets for machining, just as on Coleman burners of the period. The filler plug (lower image) can be easily gripped for turning by the raised portion where air is released. An advertisement for this model, in Tony Press’ collection, is dated 1940.
There are 4 versions of the Austramax 2/300 lantern model (Nils Stephenson). This fourth and last version dates to the later 1940s, according to Iain Sedgman, whose collection this is in. This version includes the collar stamping (lower image) that is now above the pump. The top and the base of the fount are stamped PAT.PEND (not shown). The ventilators are finished in a variety of colors including mint green, light green, black, and red, besides the light blue seen here. They are often found with straight-sided glass globes as seen here, rather than original mica globes.
These Austramax Model 3/300 lanterns were also made by Austramax Pty Ltd. The unfired lantern on the left includes a warning label to not use the tip cleaner to extinguish the lantern. The newer version on the right has a differently shaped valve wheel. These 300 cp kerosene lanterns are in Peter Cunnington’s collection.
This a 3/300 Austramax lantern badged for Michaelis Bayley Pty. Ltd, Victoria, Australia, circa 1977-80, according to Iain Sedgman, whose collection this is in. The stamping on the side of the chrome plated fount (top image) is difficult to photograph but says COUGAR, MODEL-CG5300, FOR KEROSENE ONLY. The globe on this unfired lantern, is only marked Schott Suprax and not Austramax. The air release screw on this and other Austramax lanterns of the period lacks the typical metal pointed tip and instead has a flat surface to seal the opening (bottom image).
This lantern is stamped Solex, 200C, and Made in Italy: it is in Jason Tyler’s collection. Neil McRae believes the model number of this 200 cp kerosene lantern with a Preston generator is either 200 (based on the stamping) or 251 (based on a single catalog known for the company). The manufacturer was A. Boffelli & C. Piazzale U., Milano (McRae).
This lantern is stamped Solex, 300, and Made in Italy. Comparable to the Solex above, this 300 cp lantern is either Model 252 or 300. The alcohol preheater cup is molded into the base of the frame. The screw that fastens the frame to the fount also fastens a curved piece of metal that directs the preheater flame to the generator.
An unknown Argentinean company made this Model 401 Bull Dog lantern, that Juan Caiti, whose collection this is in, notes is very similar to Aida Model 214, a 300 cp kerosene model made by Aidagesellschaf für Beleuchtung und Heizung m.b.H., Berlin prior to WWII (Neil McRae). The age of this lantern is not known.
The Commercial and Domestic Appliance Corporation (CADAC), Johannesburg, South Africa, made this Olympic Model kerosene lantern in the mid to late 1970’s. This kerosene model, in Cain Kremitzki’s collection, is preheated with alcohol and is about 300 cp (McRae).
On the left is a Camplete Model 7300 lantern and on the right is a Dura Camp Model 730 lantern, that were apparently manufactured by the same Japanese company. The Camplete is in Neil McRae’s collection, while the Dura Camp is in Kent Kirkpatrick’s collection.
This Camplete Model 7320 is a two mantle gasoline lantern that appears to have been copied from a Coleman 220F (1963-1973) based on its parts including the burner assembly. As above we don’t know the name of the manufacturer. This lantern with the box marked Japan (not shown) is in Stephen Hickok’s collection.
The Chinese National Light Industrial Products company, Shanghai, China, made Anchor brand lighting. This 300 cp Model 385 is unusual in having the outer mixing chamber enameled green. A printer’s date code of Sept. 1963 appears on the instruction sheet that came with this lantern.
This Anchor brand 950 lantern is a 500 cp kerosene model with rapid start. This lantern is in Bruce Strauss’ collection.
From the decal on Warwick Jones’s lantern (right) we know the maker of this Australian Radiant Star lantern (left) was Collins Brothers who appear to have taken over Gloria Lighting at 186 Clarence St., Sydney, in the 1930’s, based on research done by Colin Mills. The kerosene fueled lantern, in Colin Mills’s collection, did not include a collar.
The Luna Brand lantern was made by Drukov Družstvo, Brno, Czech Republic in the 1950’s and ’60’s, according to Neil McRae, for domestic sale only. Christer Carlsson, whose collection this is in, believes this is a 500cp model although it may be 350cp. It is very similar to his Primus Model 1094.
Dutrut, Bernier & Desrues, Paris, France, made this Model 1 Le Phare Liberty lantern. This is a gasoline fueled, 180 cp model, per Neil McRae, who took these images of the lantern, which is in Ian Caunter’s collection. A pressure gauge is mounted on the top of the fount.
The only identification on this lantern is Fillip brand, Made in India. The logo is a horse head surrounded by a horseshoe. It is a 500 cp kerosene model in the Petromax style with alcohol preheat. The generator is also stamped RLCO, perhaps a company with initials R and L. This lantern is in Bob Fladung’s collection.
The Gloria Light Co. Pty. Ltd., Melbourne, Australia, made this Model 100 kerosene fueled lantern. The pump style is European but the valve assembly with tip cleaner are comparable to Coleman. There is a lower preheater cup that is part of the recessed baffle plate, which may have been too low to effectively preheat the Preston generator so another preheater cup that can pivot away from the generator base rests on the base of the air tube. The upper cup can be moved to access the bolt fastening the frame to the valve body. This lantern is in Tony Press’ collection.
Gloria-Australia created this unidentified lantern with a valve assembly (right image) and generator (left image), as used on their Model 33 below, and with a burner assembly, fount, and ventilator supplied by Lindemann & Hoverson, Milwaukee, U.S.A., as used on their Model 116. The fount base plate is stamped for the US company, with whom Gloria-Australia shared materials. Tony Press, whose collection this is in, reproduced the top ring for attaching the ventilator.
Gloria-Australia advertised this model in 1933-34 (Dick, cited by McRae). The burner assembly casting is marked Gloria 33 (right image). The original globe was probably mica; this Schott globe is the size of a Coleman 236-237 globe and is a replacement as is the top vent fastener and bail. The pump is comparable to a Coleman with a positive shutoff. This lantern is in Tony Press’ collection.
This unknown Gloria Light Co. lantern model has been designated Model “W” by Neil McRae. The lantern, in Colin Mills collection, dates to the mid-1930s. Compare to the other versions of Model “W” below. Note the collar is part of the frame base plate (upper right). A central baffle plate (not seen) rests on the constriction above the badge. Model “W” is Shellite (gasoline) fueled and has the same preheater as Model 379 below.
These Model “W” lanterns differ from the one above in the black vent enamel (left image) or brass finish (right image). The brass version also has a two piece ventilator, rather than one piece as the one on the left. The four lobed valve wheel has been found in red plastic marked with Close and an arrow (left image), or in brass with the word Gloria in the casting (right image). In spite of the variations these were likely all regarded as the same model. These lanterns are in Tony Press’ collection.
The Gloria Light Co. also made this Model 379 Shellite (gasoline) fueled lantern circa 1938. This lantern, in Bob Bauer’s collection, has a thin preheater line with holes along its length so that flames can heat the generator (right image) and is controlled by a separate valve in the collar (center, left image). Gloria Australasia also made a lamp model with the same fuel system at that time.
© 2000-2023 Terry Marsh
The Terrence Marsh Lantern Gallery 