Thanks, I want to find out more about the Flag lantern that I've got coming next week. Its stamped 'Foreign' instead of 'Made in England' and would like to know if it could have been made in South Africa. Hugs Sammi x
I've just added a Tropic Mk2, dated 1956 in addition to the Flag I snapped up at the weekend... Buy, buy.! Bye,bye money. This hobby is addictive.
All hobbies are by their nature I do think that owning, preserving, learning about and actually using old things is the best.
"Foreign" makes it pre 1973 as joining the EU stopped that requirement. According the information and timelines on the other link it could well be South African.
No problem at all @David Cooper. I have a few of the Chalwyn lamps, and I'm working towards having the full set. Hugs Sammi xXx
Those Chalwyn lamps are very good looking. Too bad its very unlikely I'd be able to find any in my area.
I am sure that they would have been sold in your area, but of course the humidity may have taken its toll !
I was lucky enough to find my Far East lamp in, what appears to be, unused condition for £20.00 in an antique centre in Norwich. The original globe was green. This, unfortunately got broken, so it now has a clear glass globe. The lamp is a blueish colour which leads me to believe that it may have been issued by the RAF.
I've just added a New Pilot to my collection, so I've just got three to go before I have the full set. A New Lynx, Tornado and Far East Mk 2. @David Cooper your lamp looks to be in very good nick indeed. Hugs Sammi xXx
Hello Sammi, there are a few myths about Chalwyn Ltd... As it stands, the company has no archives from its post-war founding period! That's why there have been a lot of different rumours on the internet. It is true that Chalwyn had a subsidiary in South Africa. However, as South Africa once belonged to the Commonwealth (until 1961), there is no reason for me to mark the lantern with 'Foreign'. The Chalwyn company also once produced a storm lantern with the mark 'Sturmlicht' for the German market. The lantern is not stamped 'Made in England', but neither is it stamped 'Foreign'! What strikes me in the current discussion is the fact that no one has mentioned the company Dietz in the USA! Dietz manufactured storm lanterns for Chalwyn, as their own capacities were not sufficient. I had a discussion with Woody Kirkman, California - USA about this many years ago. Woody wrote to me, among other things: Dietz made lanterns under contract for Chalwyn in Hong Kong in the 1960's. The fact is that Chalwyn did not start making storm lanterns until 1946. I have two original brochures from Chalwyn. The first models were the 'Tropic', 'Far East' and the 'Pilot'. George Wild's name also appears in these brochures! George Wild was an exclusive salesman for bat lanterns of the company Stübgen, Erfurt, at least from 1925 on. When Stübgen sold its lantern department to Hugo Schneider AG in 1937, Wild continued to work for Hasag until 1939. Unfortunately I don't know what he did during the war! After the war, however, he was the sole salesman for Chalwyn in the British Isles, Australia, Africa and the British West Indies! G. Wild was also the one who produced the big bat glasses again in England after the war. On the former 'Lamp Guild Forum' in the USA there were some interesting discussions about Chalwyn which I will attach as a Word file. Regards Jörg At the end a list of Chalwyn models that I know of. I also found a link that might explain the abbreviation 'HCCL'. Lanterns
@Jean J We certainly needed the warmth of the oil lamps tonight. We came home from a week away to find that the boiler had got low pressure and had stopped working. So we had to call out a gas fitter to rectify the problem. Which was finally done about three hours later. Hugs Sammi xXx
@Jörg Wekenmann some great information there thanks for sharing. The brochure for the 1946 Tropic I find interesting as the design is similar to the larger lamps you see, with the external cage that lifts up and can be removed separately from the lamp. I have never seen a Tropic like that. Did the design change shortly after launch I wonder.
Hi Gary, the design of this Tropic lantern certainly comes from G. Wild himself. This Tropic is a mixture of old English hot blast lanterns and the newer cold blast lanterns. The design of the double-row protective grille matches that of a Hasag Orkan hurricane storm lantern. I don't think this design was kept for long, if it was ever realised in this way. Kind regards Jörg
I've a few Chalwyns amongst my lanterns. A Far East, a Tropic, a roadworks lantern, an original Pilot and a new Pilot. Here's a new Pilot, unused.
