I figured since Jamespowers mentioned something about starting a thread about old kerosene lamps, I thought I’d start with this new thread.
The Kerosene lamp is quite a unique collectable and it has played a rather interesting part in history.
To start off, kerosene lanterns were the first thing I collected! I had an interest in the gold rush, the 1800’s and log cabins… you know, frontier stuff.
Well, visiting Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, I recall being a child and looking at all the rustic electrified lanterns adorning so much of the structures in Frontier land and so on. For some reason I loved the soft glow of them, even if they were lit by an electric flickering bulb, it was something I was drawn to.
At the age of 9 years, my dad (after much hounding) bought me a Chinese made cold blast lantern from a local surplus shop. It was my pride! I loved that thing, I took it everywhere I went! One day I was at a friend’s house and I stumbled on some steps… I rolled down the stairs and was pretty much ok… but the glass glob to my lantern was busted! I cried like I had been shot… My poor Mother came to my aid and found that I was ok and cursed me for crying like a stuffed pig when there was no harm to my person… I pointed at my joy with glass shards around… she said it would be fixed… we found a pickle jar that fit in it… it never received a new glob. I still have it just the way it was that day back in 1988… pickle jar and all!
Since then I have acquired many great lanterns… my favorite now are the hot-blast Dietz Hi-low’s… they are really good lamps and produce at least 12-15 candle power. At the time they were new that was much more than one candle!
My folks didn’t allow kerosene in the house and I would fix a candle inside some of my lamps… just to hang around the room like it was a mine shaft from the 1880’s… I was a very careful boy.
Ah, those early days are gone but still love my old lanterns. I have a few of them hanging on my porch that I light when I have company over… this last Halloween was fun, Had many hanging and a few of the red globed Dietz’s around to ad a sense of hazard to the property.
With my hand carved jackolantern on the porch with a sinister pointed teeth grin to one side, and the car parked on the front lawn with a Dietz hi-lo burning with a red globe… it was quite a spooky non “Wal*Mart synthetic approach” to Halloween. Most kids needed the aid of their folks to guide them down the dark driveway.
Here is one photo to start the thread off right, late 30s Dietz Hi-Lo hot blast taken one night wile exploring some abandoned property in San Dimas… the tiled steps it sits are all that remains of an old Spanish home (I’m assuming) at this site.
So, till I get more photos up, let's see the Lanterns that are hiding in your garages or attics or maybe in your house!
Reply With Quote
kerosene lanterns
Originally Posted by Forgotten Man
