Lucked into this one at a recent gathering that was too cheap to pass up. Appears to be all original minus the homemade cleaning lever extension coming through the frame.
@WimVe Piepgras light company. They did not build their own products, but rather sold Nulite products.
It's an impressive lantern and with that tank looks like it would run all night on one fill, congratulations
That is an impressive lantern, Toby. I note Neil McRae’s commentary on these lanterns in his Pressure Lamp Catalogue. Was the fount made by Nulite? That seems to be the case, but does that fount appear elsewhere? Tony @Toby Garner @Mackburner
@Tony Press , I'm sure Neil will have more to add, but these are no doubt built by Nulite, but no advertising has ever been found for these model 18 variants other than from Piepgras. The 2 quart fount Giant variant was designed for all night running in chicken houses and such. There was even a heater attachment from others I've seen.
All part of the richly bizarre Nulite saga. This lamp, as with a lot of Nulite lamps, is very probably an Acorn Brass design and they sold a two mantle version of this model 18 Giant. Nulite did use this tank on a two burner chandelier but there is no mention of the model 18s in any Nulite literature although I do have the four variations listed with Nulite. That is because the design is clearly Acorn/Nulite and that is where folk will look for them. I also list a model 16 with Nulite for the same reason and that is actually a Nulite model 2. I suspect the 18s were specials made for Piepgras and strictly speaking are not Nulite brand lanterns at all. The company is the Piepgras Light Co., Powers Building, Tinley Park, Illinois. USA. I cannot track down the exact ownership of Piepgras. There are no entries in the Chicago directories for the company and I think it was perhaps a family run business. In 1930 the family consisted of Anna P.M. Piepgras and her sons Henry, George, Stanley and daughter Violet living at 261 Woodlawn Avenue Chicago. Henry was manager of a Barber shop, George was owner of a barber shop and cigar store and Stanley was manager of the Mail Order Dept of a retail gasoline appliance business and in 1934 there was a copyright granted to Stanley for a No 18 Giant 300cp Combination lantern-heater. I assume therefore that at least in the 1930s Stanley was managing Piepgras mail order but the business may have been a joint family enterprise with several members actually owning it although George is perhaps the most likely owner as he was the one who had owned more than one business in the years before 1930. ::Neil::
My sentiments exactly. I used to see them on CCF often in past years. Good thing it fell in the hands of a good collector , it found a good home.
Great looking workhorse of a lantern.. my first impression was that two tanks were formed into one, with a crimped over join in the middle? Or is it actually a one-piece tank? Thanks Toby regards pb
@podbros it appears to be one piece as there is no obvious seam, but I'm sure they used two founts and joined them in the middle with some sort of solder/braze and then plated it. Using up what they already had I suppose
