Aida Express Record 1500 500cp

Discussion in 'Aida' started by BigStevie, May 11, 2020.

  1. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    These two very original Aida lamps came my recently from another forum member.
     
  2. george

    george United States Subscriber

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    Now that's interesting, a "black identification" label instead of the usual orange. Nice acquisition!
     
  3. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    @george These are my first German lamps, so I’m on a learning curve. I’ll have to learn more about the identification plates...
     
  4. george

    george United States Subscriber

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    @BigStevie Maybe I'm wrong... Looking at this again and it might just be the black is actually an off-orange, not black. My mistake.](*,)
     
  5. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    @george You were right first time George, it’s definitely black.
     
  6. JEFF JOHNSON

    JEFF JOHNSON United Kingdom Subscriber

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    Those are well built lanterns!:thumbup::thumbup:
     
  7. WimVe

    WimVe Subscriber

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    Black label, red top.
    Enough to feed the date committee.
    They where not made by J. Hirschhorn.
     
  8. podbros

    podbros United Kingdom Subscriber

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    Nice looking lanterns these, Stevie :thumbup:
     
  9. M.Meijer

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    My guess is that the red top goes to any newer lamp than on which it sits in Stevie''s picture. Another guess is that a black label was what the early, post-war lamps were equiped with. Then, to set them apart from their Petromax sisters, the 'house colour' orange was introduced. My money is on a black labeled lamp with a chrome top.
     
  10. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    @M.Meijer I did wonder. The lamps came to me in the configuration they’re in.
     
  11. M.Meijer

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    Stevie,
    That does not say much, as you can put even a 350/500CP Petromax , Geniol or Hipólito ventilator on either one of these lamps with perfect fit. In other words, they are readily interchangable.
     
  12. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    Yes Mike, I appreciate your comment. So what’s the consensus? Red top with orange label?
     
  13. M.Meijer

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    Stevie, I would say yes. But to me red-topped AIDA's are new, and George in the US knows much more about them - perhaps you can chime in George?
     
  14. Reinhard

    Reinhard Germany Subscriber

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    The ribbed collar was introduced at Petromax in 1958.
    The punched tank numbers were introduced at Petromax in 1961.
    Even later around 1980 AIDA's were again manufactured by Hipolito in Portugal.

    Please show the tank numbers. Then I can tell you more.

    Regards Reinhard
     
  15. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    Both founts are stamped 2214. Any help?
     
  16. Reinhard

    Reinhard Germany Subscriber

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    @BigStevie

    22nd week
    Year 1961
    Thursday
    Manufactured by Petromax in Altena/Germany

    And the other lamp?

    Regards Reinhard
     
  17. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    @Reinhard Thanks for the information. Both the lamps have the same date code.

    Stevie
     
  18. MYN

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    Now that's interesting. Someone mixed up some parts?
     
  19. ColinG

    ColinG United Kingdom Subscriber

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    I'm envious Stevie, those two look really nice!
     
  20. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    @MYN Well, that’s the conundrum. I haven’t a clue being an absolute novice with these lamps. Well have to see what those with the knowledge have to say.
    @ColinG I know, when I saw the pics, I couldn’t resist them. They’re certainly very well made!
     
  21. MYN

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    I would believe that both the units were produced by Graetz of Germany( in Altena) if they're made in the 1960s with the 4-digit stamped codes. The overall design is almost identical to the standardized Petromax of that period.
    But I don't think that the Aida or Petromax of that period would be made with enamelled tops from the standard production lines. However, those meant for export, especially to Asia could sometimes have 'customized' features such as in the nameplates, additional stamped numbers or even enamelled hood tops.
    Nevertheless, the earlier(1930s) Petromax and Aida were made with much greater variations in features.
     
  22. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    @MYN Thanks for your thoughts. I think I’ll put the orange top with the orange plate fount, they look right together!
     
  23. Reinhard

    Reinhard Germany Subscriber

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    The two AIDA's were made on the same day ! Probably they were bought together by someone as a couple.
    With one lamp the hood and the type plate were lost at some point. The red hood probably comes from a Petromax special edition of the 80s (Karstadt). In Germany there are collectors who can imitate such type plates. Bute only in black color. The material of this type plates is thinner.

    Regards Reinhard
     
  24. Reinhard

    Reinhard Germany Subscriber

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    Sorry,
    Now I have found an AIDA with a red hood on a website. They really do exist.
    Screenshot_20200516-105309.jpg
    Reinhard
     
  25. MYN

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    I've came across somewhere(can't remember) that those Aida Express 1350 and 1500 were mostly exported to Asia, perhaps far east. I'd say that in most of Asia, at least during those days, they favoured higher powered units like the 350 and 500cp ones, for instance, by street vendors during the night. They had to compete with the many Petromax clones too, which were mostly rated 300/350cp. In the minds of the users in Asia, the superiority of a lamp is often judged solely by how bright it is. Not surprisingly, the Aida Express 1250 or any with lower outputs, had been less common in Asia.
    Aida had been rather popular in the Far East. I don't know(of all colours), if the red-orange colour coding for the pricker wheel and nameplate was chosen for any specific reasons. Red is obviously a favourite colour in the East, from the majority of those used in Petromax clones. Perhaps the Aida colour code had some influence or had been influenced by this market sector.
    By the 50s and 60s, most of Germany and Europe had already phased-out the use of pressure lamps. I'd believe that most of those produced by the Graetz factories during then were for export, especially to the East, where the demand for pressure lanterns was greatest.
     
  26. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    @Reinhard Thanks for the information, I guess were all learning something everyday.
    @MYN it would be interesting to know which countries were the main markets for the European makers in the fifties and sixties and what volumes were being sold.
     
  27. MYN

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    That'll be nice to know @BigStevie
    Unfortunately records could only be found in the Graetz archives.
    They were sold all over Asia for sure.
    But I'd say a large portion of those made in the 50s and 60s turned up in the FarEast and Southeast Asia.
     
  28. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    The hoods on my two Aida lamps are different, one is nickel plated, the other has an orange cap.
    The orange topped hood the cap it fitted to the hood with six bent over tabs. My question is, how is the cap attached to the nickel plated hood? Is it crimped on or somehow spot welded?

    Stevie
    image.jpg
     
  29. MYN

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    The nickel plated cap is crimped-formed onto the hood, just like the post war Petromax and clones Its not welded or brazed or attached by screws or anything else. There's also a round piece of steel plate crimped under the hood to act as a sort of backing/stiffener or heat shield. You would usually find that quite many are rusted.
     
  30. BigStevie

    BigStevie United Kingdom Subscriber

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    @MYN Thanks for the information, as I’d thought.
     

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