With a recent discussion about the orginality of a Vapalux 300 - 1943 Vapalux 300 - and the often held discussion about the supposed factory-specific appearance that your lamp has not (quite), the idea that this could be also a result of Willis & Bates policies has been gelling. After all, the idea that this in fact very small factory had been producing lamps likely against financially odds, starting in a war already declared, is a good reason to look at the production since 1940 with that in mind. Even if quality was not compromised - as indeed the Vapalux, then Bialaddin, then Vapalux lamps again were made to high standards - there must have been an urgence to produce a good product for the minstery that could carry the company financially as well. Without going into a stretched story, there are a few products that seem odd at first, but could be explained by a smallish company with a good sense of thrift in mind. The first model E41, different to any other following model, could very well be designed on excisiting stocks, remnants of parts meant for a Tilley lamp, as has been suggested here. Then wartime demanded great numbers of lamps, and the second Vapalux model 300 appears. Apart from the change to steel for the fount, pressure tits or not, this model has various shapes of tops, of which each new model appearantly simpler / cheaper to make. In all the model Vapalux 300 has many appearances, some even just a crowsfoot and year on it as the sole marks but otherwise without any branding. Hence the always returning discussions of which is what, if not an exasperated why. But there are too many 300's that show the same odd mix of parts that cannot be explained by chance; there was method in this madness! After the war, with likely less pressure to produce large numbers, the lamps that reached the market are more recognisable even if they are shortlived. The deal with Aladdin Industries, not too long ago suggested by David Shouksmith as a parallel production (next to W&B's own Vapalux brand for the army) might have turned the economic thumbscrews down, as we see cost-cutting details appear, like sprayed-over brass fittings such as the pump and fuel cap, seen on the later Bialaddin 300X models that might have disappeared with the Vapalux M1 and 320 from 1966 on. So far so good, but in the second half of the 300X production run, we can now conclude that W&B must have used up chromed cage/collars into the otherwise complete green lamps, surplus perhaps of the not too succesfull all-chrome deluxe model introduced in the late 40's? A bitza that disappeared slowly, at least in advertising as in this ad in Country Living of april '54, that might have been a gaffe, but likely in fact still available at your ironmonger even then. And evidently acceptable to Aladdin, who was partner only to make a profit after all. The odd mixes can of course be explained by the make-do mentality of the afterwar years, and possibly many qualify as such. But with a company that used up old stock even in newer models, there are lamps with just that subtle variance that hint at a quiet merger. Like my early black topped bordeaux-red 300X with Bialaddin stamped in the top as well as in the collar, and with a pretty solid pedigree. There are more of these combinations, that some will degrade as non-original. But how can they prove that? Not with a company like Willis & Bates, they can't!
I definitely think this 'mix and match', thrifty production idea has a lot of merit. We live in the era of complete uniformity, where every procuct has to be exactly the same as all the others, but if the buying public were happy to buy a lamp that looked OK and worked well (very well in W&B case) then there would be no reason not to keep using up old parts. Also, thanks to their designs being backwards and forwards compatible (up until the 320 that is) they could produce limited runs made up of disparate parts and send them out to retailers who would happily sell them to grateful end users. The situation reminds me a little of the BBC TV program 'Fake or Fortune' where experts are asked to decide what is and what is not the work of a particular artist, sometimes on little more than a hunch. 'XXXXX would never have painted that!' they say and a canvas suddenly becomes worthless, although the plain fact is there will always be occasions when can never truly know. In some cases the artist themselves were known to have lied about their own works if they no longer liked them. Just my two pennerth!
The kings of “whatever comes to hand” in pressure lamp manufacture was the Australian Gloria company. They sold the ‘same’ lantern with variations of many different fittings; produced models without model numbers; and called different lamps and lanterns the same model number... Tony
I have a fondness for Orange Mountain Bikes. Although it's hardtails are made in Taiwan, it makes it's full suspension bikes in Halifax. I found out a few years ago they were bought by the MD of Bairstow Bros (in 2016), having previously supplied the company with aluminium. I'd never expected such a cross-hobby connection! A History of Orange Mountain Bikes | Biketart | Blog
So, Tony, you describe a line of lamps that could end up in one's collection, but as a brand are non-collectable without any structure to follow? Must appeal to the collector with a masochist streak, then .
A very interesting discussion. If W&B had a bin full of parts that were plated, or painted, or whatever, they would have used them on a production run. There is no way they would have thought, “oh, we can’t use those collars, they’re the wrong colour”. Such a point as this just didn’t matter back then. As Colin mentioned above, the absolute need for manufacturing uniformity wasn’t a concern. I started my working life in the workshops of West Yorkshire, we had a very thrifty attitude and waste wasn’t an option. The MD of one company I worked at would walk around the place picking up the stems from used pop rivets! the man was worth millions, but just couldn’t stop himself. So, back to the topic. Mixing and matching of parts that were in stock, not a problem. No one at the factory would have lost any sleep over such things.
