Made by Hugo Schneider (HASAG) in the mid 1920s and sold in the UK by PIFCO who were and are the retail company Provincial Incandescent Fittings Co. This is a strange lantern with some odd features. The lantern is advertised in a 1926 Pifco catalogue as a 400 cp petrol (gasoline) lantern. However it is clearly a HASAG product and has a HASAG model number in the base plate as No 51. OK as far as it goes but Hasag 51 in the mid 1920s is a kerosene lantern. It is fitted with a gasoline generator and runs well on Wasbenzine so I guess it is what Pifco say it is. The pressure release has a metal shroud over it presumably to dissipate any gasoline fumes when used to extinguish the lamp. Unlike most period Hasag lanterns there are no clips to hold the hood down. Instead the top of the generator is threaded and with the inner hood in place a nut is screwed on to the generator which locks the inner hood down. The alcohol pre heater cup s wrong but it is the one that came with it and I think it is a Hasag cup but not for this lantern. The condition is not great as the gobe cage was rusty and the nickel plate on the fount is poor but it does run very well. These are not common and I guess I have only seen perhaps three or four. ::Neil::
Hi Neil, great lantern, but do you still need her? I have a great place here in her homecountry Karli
Yes you have to wonder about the ownership of Pifco. I know little about the company. Established in 1900 and the Public company registered in 1902 as Provincial Incandescent Fittings Co., Ltd. The only hint of the people is this unreadable signature from the 1925-26 catalogue. At least I can't read it but maybe someone can tell me this guys name. ::Neil::
Yes damnn strange name. I wanted to find the guy in the 1911 census or a trade directory if I could but I have tried several spelling combinations and got no hits. It would be nice to put a name to the company management but so far with extensive googling and hunting in various genealogy web sites I can find no directories with any info. Got Pifco in a few telephone directories in Manchester and Leeds between 1905 and 1930 but they don't give me a name. What we need here is someone with access to Kelly's directories from 1900 to 1930 in Manchester. Probably have to visit a Manchester library for those though and that's 200 miles away from here. ::Neil::
Hello Neil, I recall the late Mr John Claypole mentioning that Pifco were a Jewish company, hence the logo. I think that there is reference to Pifco in one issue of the Light International Magazine. In reference to that signature, I reckon that it's J Webber or J Wibber.
Webber? I think you may be right. Won't be easy to track a common name like that but I might have a go. There would be an article in LI. No index for those so a serious long flog through them all. Still I have them all here in the pc so possible. Actually I should convert them all to PDF so I can scroll through them easier. ::Neil::
Hello Neil, I have a full set of LI., too, but I do not recall which issue the Pifco reference is in.
I was browsing the gallery looking to match a lamp to a patent when I saw this topic. I see you have updated the PLC @Mackburner . I thought I'd add this to this topic so if anyone else reads it there is some closure on the signature.
Just a footnote on the PIFCO company. A PIFCO Camper stove I own was undoubtedly made by British company Monitor and rebranded and marketed by PIFCO, around 1930. The logo on that stove is the PIFCO name in a distinctive font. The ‘P’ mounted on a flattened ‘C’ was evidently made up just for that product, and appears only on the carton. Regarding the identity of the Managing Director (and PIFCO founder I believe) the patent for this product, a voltmeter/milliameter, gives details. The patent first page. ... and detail from that So, Joseph Webber and PIFCO premises of 71, High Street, Manchester. This from ‘Practical Wireless’ magazine, 1st September 1934. It cites that the company was founded in 1900. John
