An ad for this Pitner Mantle Lantern appeared in the May, 1916 Popular Mechanics magazine (Eggert). It was made by the Pitner Gasoline Lighting Co., Chicago, IL. The burner caps, orifice and filler cap, that are all the same as on that company’s Model 2001 lamp. The ad rated the lantern’s light output at 200 cp. The cast iron burner (right) has a door to clean the tip on this torch lighting lantern, which is in John Eggert’s collection.
This utility light is badged for International Light, Novelty and Specialty Co., Chicago, but was probably made by the Pitner Co., Chicago, based on similarities of the mixing chamber and valve (right image). This torch lighting light was advertised in a magazine ad in 1913 and was apparently rated at 800 cp. This utility light is in John Rugotzke’s collection.
Prentiss Wabers Products Co. in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, made these Model L13 lanterns in 1933 (both blue and green versions; Pagan) and 1934 (green version only; catalog). This early model has the pump combined with the filler cap, as on Model L14 (below left). In their later models these two parts were separated in the fount. The lantern on the left is in John Shook’s collection. while the lantern on the right, that came with a factory wrench, is in John Rugotzke’s collection.
Prentiss Wabers’ (Preway) Model L14 was a single mantle gasoline model with a combined pump-filler plug opening. Presumably the narrow-brimmed ventilator lanterns preceded the wider brimmed ventilator lantern. As with Model L13 above, these lanterns were made in both blue, in John Rugotzke’s collection, and green finished versions, in Bruce Strauss’ collection, in 1933 (Pagan). The globe on the L14 on the left is a Preway mica globe with a grommeted lighting hole.
Model L14A (left image) differed from Model L14 above in having separate openings for the filler cap and the pump. The mica globe has a grommeted lighting hole. This model appears in their 1935 catalog. This lantern, in John Rugotzke’s collection, is badged for Montgomery Ward & Co. Model L44S (center & right images), badged for Sears Roebuck & Co., has the same burner as the Model L14’s and is in the 1936 Preway catalog.
Another Junior model, L47PA uses gasoline or kerosene. This lantern, in Joe Pagan’s collection, has an original Macbeth globe that was made with a hole for lighting. The lantern also has a well-made two piece reflector that can also be swung open to broadcast the light.
A unique feature of Model L47 is the separate burner assembly. In comparison to Model L14 above this burner assembly is held in place by lowering the generator through the preheater cup and into the opening into the mixing chamber casting, and by putting the air tube into the hole provided for it in the frame base plate. These parts hold the burner assembly in place.
Preway Model 742-43 with a green painted fount (upper left), 742-431 (upper right) and 742 43-9 with a nickel plated fount (lower); all made for Sears. These double mantle lanterns have the original mica globes with a windowed door or lighting hole in the mica globe for lighting. Sears listed these models in their Spring 1936 – Fall, 1941 catalogs (McRae). The lantern in the upper right is in Lem Ervin’s collection while the lower lantern is in Joe Pagan’s collection.
An Art Deco lantern design from Prentiss-Wabers Co., this gasoline fueled, instant-lighting Preway Model L46S was also made for Sears and sold as Model 742-461. The lantern was sold by Sears from 1936-41 (McRae). The globe on this model has a hole drilled in it for lighting the mantles (left image). The articulated bail is rounded at the top but was folded down for this image. The mixing chamber casting is made of cast iron and is unusually large (right image). This lantern is heavy, weighing 7 1/2 pounds.
These two Preway models are also stamped L46S as is the lantern above but are finished in colors as on Turner Brass Works lanterns with Brooklure labels. These two lanterns are in Rich Wiersum’s collection.
The Radiolite Mfg. Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, probably began making this 300 cp kerosene Model 15 lantern circa 1915. The patented mixing chamber with the mantle surrounding the central generator seems to have been unique at that time (middle image). The fuel valve is on the left; the tip cleaner valve is on the right. This lantern, in Tom Weaver’s collection, has a replacement mica globe and wing nut to fasten the spun steel ventilator.
This Radiolite 15 lantern has the same features as the one above except that it has a brass part to attach the lower mantle around the generator tube that is affixed to the air tube and angles up to the generator (right image). On the one above the place for the lower mantle to be tied is a sleeve that extends down from the mixing chamber casting. This lantern, in George & Nancy Remkus’ collection, has the original nut to fasten the ventilator. The mica globe is missing from these images.
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The Terrence Marsh Lantern Gallery 