With this article I would like to support the collectors of Chalwyn storm lanterns. The original documents can be found in my archive. From 1925 onwards, the dealer George Wild was the sole representative of bat lanterns from the Friedrich Stübgen company in Erfurt. From 1937 onwards, he represented the Hasag company, which had bought the lantern division from Stübgen. After the war he worked for the Chalwyn company. A life for storm lanterns! After the war, George Wild made sure that the bat glasses were reissued.
Hi presscall, thank you for your catalogues! In addition to normal storm lanterns, the Chalwyn company produced a curiosity that I would like to present here: This lantern was even protected by patents!
@Jörg Wekenmann Jörg, that’s a marvellous flyer, thank you for presenting it. No trace on CPL I can find (I’m sure you’ve looked too) of a surviving example of the ‘Hurrifume’, but hopefully one day one will turn up. The assurance Harmless to humans or animals would be more reassuring if the manufacturer was certain that their Powerfume tablets were harmless to both! John
Thanks Jörg, good to see it made it into production and that someone bought it! For mosquito suppression I’ll probably stick with citronella candles … John
Hi John, I once spent some time on Java in Indionesia. Because of the mosquitoes, they used a fly spray called Baygon from Bayer, Singapore. When two guys once caught a mouse, they sprayed it briefly from a distance of about 20cm. After 30 minutes the mouse was dead,........ At night, geckos occasionally fell dead from the ceiling because they had probably inhaled too much of it. By the way, the Fumigator lantern was even sold in Germany: In the patent you can see which mixture they used! Jörg
DDT insecticide, of course. Mouse, gecko - ‘safe for humans or animals’ but not both then. I’d still not want to breathe the stuff in.
I had no idea that the Fumigator lantern existed until I saw this thread. Then today one popped up in my eBay search and I've put in an offer for it, so watch this space as they say.! There won't be any chance of getting any of the tablets, though knowing what they contain I don't think I want any.! Sammi Gray-Jones xXx
I've been following the tracking, and it's now been handed to a courier firm for onward dispatch to the UK. Sammi Jane xXx
This arrived today, and after a quick clean up, here it is. The lit picture is a bit on the dark side, but there's a small leak from the tank, so this is the best I can do for now. Also it didn't have the original glass, but one from a Dietz 'Comet'. The correct glass is the same type that's fitted in the 'Flag' lanterns, so I borrowed that so that I could take the pictures. The lantern was made by Chalwyn on behalf of Power Fumigants. Any help on how to fix the leak, which is just seepage will be gratefully received.
Interesting Chalwyn documentation. Like most lamps and lanterns from that era, they were meant to be purely functional. I'd would not hesitate to test out the fumigant function if the lamp is mine or if the DDT-laced tablets are still available. I live in the hot-humid tropics, with pretty much similar climate as that in Indonesia. Plenty of mosquitoes all the time. Dengue outbreaks are quite frequent too... Yes, Baygon insecticide aerosols are commonly sold around here too. It is regarded as somewhat more potent than most other brands.
Hi Sammi Jane, where exactly is your lantern leaking? Could you post a photo where you can see this spot? Regards Jörg
I'll try and get some pictures in the next couple of days that show where the leak is. Thanks Sammi Jane xXx
Hi Everyone, I just found this in the basement of the house I bought. And this page seems to be the only page on the entirety of the internet that referenced the Hurrifume. What can you tell me?
