Hiya folks, this is my 1st post to your forums so I hope I am doing this correctly and not asking anything I shouldn't be!!! I have a Chalwyn Traffic Signs Lantern that I can not find anything online about. There are many similar, but none exactly the same as this one. If I could get any help with information, history or ball-park value, it would be so very much appreciated. I was told that Chalwyn items are becoming collectable now, but not found anything to this point. Thanks peoples!!!
Welcome. Valuations aren’t given on this forum, but those traffic lights are sold frequently on eBay. Tony
Cool Tony that was what I thought, but I am not chasing a certified professional valuation, just someone's more informed opinion. As I mentioned, there are many similar ones for sale online but none identical. I was just searching for more more information, but I have all I need in your in-depth and very informative reply, great work my friend. I can se why this forum is so very popular, hope to chat again soon buddy. ( yes that was called sarcasm Tony, I am sure you can find that frequently online too) Have a great day buddy!!!
@Sickmate71 I don’t know much about these kinds of lights, except for the fact that they were in use when I was a kid in the 50s and 60s so I’m not able to provide much more information other than Chalwyn lanterns of that vintage were made in England. The Registered Design numbers may be of some assistance to you finding more information. Cheers Tony
@Sickmate71 I did find this: Chalwyn History A brief history of Chalwyn Products provided by Dave Barden of the International Guild of Lamp Researchers. This was received from Chalwyn in response to enquiries he had made in 2007. "The original title of the company was Chalwyn Lamps Limited and was formed with the primary object of manufacturing and marketing of Hurricane Lanterns. Originally the lanterns were manufactured by James Croll Limited (a Chalwyn company) on a sub-contract basis, but in 1946/47 premises were acquired in Parkstone and a specialised production unit was established. Sales were controlled through an associated company Chalwyn Wild (Sales) Limited in London. During the early 1950"s the company moved ahead rapidly and made good profits and in 1951 it was decided to concentrate all activities in Parkstone and the London sales office was closed. The factory premises in Parkstone were acquired from Mass Products Limited, then in liquidation. The manufacturing facilities were organised on a mass production basis, the assembly lines being particularly efficient. The range of lanterns comprised of four models (Tropic, Far East, Tempest and Pilot) available in all major world markets and supplied a demand in post-war years of some 50,000 lanterns per week, indeed over a period of about 20 years some 30,000,000 lanterns were produced and the Chalwyn brand image firmly established. The principal markets were the West Coast of Africa, East Africa, the French Territories, Middle East, Ceylon and many other countries. The company employed some 120 agents in all parts of the world, India, originally a main market, operated a complete import ban to protect local products. During this period it was decided to commence manufacture in South Africa to take advantage of local conditions and a subsidiary company was eventually set up and commenced operation in 1954. This company was sold to the South African shareholders in 1970. In 1955/56 sterling was made convertible and Chalwyn's existing markets were immediately opened up to competitors from European and Eastern Communist countries, the principal markets in West Africa were lost to this competition and therefore sales efforts were re-directed to the lesser markets. It had been realised that Hurricane Lanterns would have a limited 'life-span' and thought was given to introducing a measure of diversification, this was not easy in view of the specialised nature of plant and machinery and with the introduction of new products it was felt that the name of Chalwyn Lamps Limited was somewhat restrictive and the name was changed to Chalwyn Limited on 1st July 1958. During the early 1960's trade in lanterns continued on a gradually reducing scale but it was increasingly evident that Hurricane Lantern manufacture was uneconomical, demand had fallen and competition had forced prices down below a reasonable level. Costs of labour and material were rising and the decision was made to phase out lantern manufacture and production finally ceased in Parkstone on the 15th April 1970. After that date we were the sole distributor in the UK for Feuerhand Lanterns from Germany. This carried on until the mid eighties when we sourced lanterns from the Czech Republic and the brand names Tropic and Far East were produced under licence there on our behalf. During the nineties we decided to buy these lanterns from a company in China for sale mainly in the African countries but the logistics and quality made selling these somewhat difficult, so that business has ceased. We still supply Chalwyn Tropic and Far East Lanterns made in the Czech Republic to the home market, but due to competition from China and the ever increasing cost of raw materials once our stock here has run out trading in lanterns will finish and we will be concentrating on other products. I hope that the information given above will be of assistance to you." From here: Lamp Ephemera Tony
@Sickmate71 VALUATIONS – SITE POLICY VALUATIONS – SITE POLICY The purpose of this site is to act as a resource for collectors & users of vintage camp stoves. As a strict policy we do not give valuations, the best way to assess the value is by offering it for sale by conventional channels or through an online auction site. Forum posts which request valuations will have this policy posted in reply by the forum moderator, and it will then be locked. This policy has had to be adopted because the value of an item is determined not only by age, condition and perceived rarity, but also by how many purchasers may be interested in it at that specific time. Time spent in reviewing the sort of prices which similar items reach in an online auction site, may give you a guide to it’s value. It is then your decision as to whether you sell it, and the method you choose, noting that it is always possible to seek a buyer via the For Sale section of the Trading Post on this site (Subscription Required). Thank you for your co-operation.
Interesting one here… has a handle that I haven’t seen on one of these before. I have a couple floating around here but they have that half rounded handle on the very top. I figured they were used on construction sites since they are big and clunky.
These non pressurised kerosene roadside safety lanterns were sometimes called bullseye lanterns and used where there was a danger to motorists from roadworks that ran over multiple days. They generally could run on a very small flame that just sparkled in the red lenses which generally had 3 circular lenses. Burning time was usually about 72 hours but some models could go a little longer, closer to 100 hours. They are resistant to moderate winds but can blow out easily in wind gusts of about 60km/hr. They are generally painted in burnt orange colour and not a fire engine red. Heavily constructed and yours has a square fount whereas other brands have a cylindrical fount. Yours has a latch on the door and others require a small pin about 3/32" to release an internal catch through a small hole. The latter type were done to deter theft of the burners. I have found most active members here to be genuinely helpful and friendly sarcasm amongst long time members happens but I feel it is best avoided generally as this forum has many members in counties where English is not their native language and they do a great job participating without added language complexities. I have seen many lamps including these being sold at stupid price offerings at well overestimated values.
Ah come on David, you know you would just love to have one of these to go along with that diver’s helmet you’re thinking about buying!!
I've got 4 of 'em in total, 2 of which I collected as a lad, and 2 that were rescued from the local dump. The prices they fetch is just daft but who am I to complain!
The prices are daft only if you’re willing to pay them! Seems to me I have a yellow one floating around somewhere… I think they’re neat. Big, clunky, hard to miss!
@george do you mean “hard to miss when you’re staggering around, doing the “Jack D” waltz in the workshop”?
@AussiePete ”Jack D” waltz got to remember that one! Is that anything like the “Seagrams shuffle” or the notorious “Green Apple two-step”? Love those dance moves, especially when your three sheets to the wind! That’s when one of these lanterns really comes in handy!
@george not forgetting the “Rum Rhumba” or the Tequila Tango” I find it’s the light spitting into the eyes the next morning that stuns one into a nauseating wakefulness, if one could call it that, more like a zombie awareness.
actually, they were, or copies of them, still used in Victoria well into the mid 1970's by the former CRB (Country Roads Board). I remember coming across a barrier erected on a country road late at night during my misspent youth and pinching one. they were incredibly simply made out of sheet metal and not much in them except a tank that would have easily held a litre of kero
