Hi All: If your lamps function please show them lighted in their true glory. Let them shine. We love the glow. Or is it just me that likes to see them function? Mike...
I hear what you say, Mike, and I agree, but as it's been easier and quicker to get as many 'unlit' pics on here as a priority. I suspect many of the 'lit' pics you see were taken previously, so already on the founder members' hard drives...
I agree and I tried to make sure I had a lit picture of everything I posted but for a few that was not possible. Damn near wore out my camera over the past few months and I had to fettle quite a few to make them run for the camera. However as normal several refused to be brought back to life and I did not waste much time trying. For me collecting lamps is not a sterile game. They were made to run and I do so love to bring some old timer back to use. ::Neil::
I agree with you Neil. That 1st light after a resto still makes me smile. I have to get used to the vernacular with respect to "lamps". I guess we from the USA and our "lantern" for the outdoor stuff. Although I like to burn a Coleman 132A on a picnic table at night. Just right for a "friendly" game of poker. Bob
Yeah, I go with that convention, too - lamps are indoor and lanterns are outdoor. We discussed this early on in the gestation, and, from memory, it was felt it was not a universal distinction and also did not correspond with the titles some manufacturers e.g. Tilley had given to some of their products. In the end, and in the interests of a workable title, we decided on the general term 'lamps'. And don't even ask how the '& Heaters' bit became added - but I'm pleased it was!
Yeah we been here before. It got complicated because all lanterns are lamps but a lamp is not always a lantern. If you want to be pedantic then yes lamps indoor and lanterns outdoor. However I am not bothered because an image and a model will tell all anyway. ::Neil::
Personally I prefer to see the lamp or lantern with the burner exposed. I like to see all the mechanical details. Dan
I very much like to see the burners not only because that is the engineering I like but also the burner is often the best was to ID a mystery lamp. I do try to include burner shots when I post images and sometimes that causes serious grief dismantling a complex lamp to expose the bits. Worth it though because down the years I have spotted several strangers and put a name to them because of the burners. It was burner images that led me to identifying the various Economy Lamp Co lanterns which up to about a year ago were unknown lamps. I even had one here without knowing what it was until I dismantled it and looked at the burner. We also discovered two previously unknown Pitner lamps from the burner designs. So yes burner images are vital for me. ::Neil::
I love to kid you guys with your lamps and torches and blow lamps. It is not like you don't throw it our way on occasion.But what matters is when it mattered we have gone shoulder to shoulder and did what needed to be done! Dan
Here's an early 1930's Everbright (made by Coleman, sold by Sears) very heavy lamp with a correct period but non-coleman shade. There's no information on what shades the Everbright came with (at least that I can find) so this is what it came with when I acquired it. And right below it is a nice little Coleman 129 Kero lamp with a Northstar globe and paper shade. Stan
Guy's - remember this thread was a request, that when you post your lamps on the site to also show the lamps alight if they were in working order. Please post your lamps in the correct reference gallery or action gallery for long-reference as they will eventually be buried here by other topics.
Correct me if I'm wrong but it's only the relatively rare specimens you want in the gallery right? Unless it's of some interest because of a unique shade or whatever. Stan
We welcome all lamps in the Reference Gallery to build up as complete a reference as possible. We expect some duplication & hopefully some revelations. We are happy for collectors to show their lamps, common or not. All part of the fun.
Not sure what gave you that idea, Stan! As Ross says, we're aiming to build up a reference bank of all pressure lighting - nice to look at now, but also invaluable for future research. I've had some lanterns identified for me and, yes - there have already been 2-3 revelations in my collection alone. Great stuff! 'Rare' is a difficult concept to tie down. For instance, most Tilley stuff is relatively commonplace in the UK - I might not have it in my collection, but I probably know a man who does and I can generally get to see and handle most Tilley lamps and lanterns, should I so desire. That wouldn't be true in the USA, of course - and the reverse situation will apply to Coleman and the other US makes. So I think it's nice to have it in the gallery - whatever it is, and whatever it's rarity is perceived to be. My two penn'orth...
You can never have too much reference material. Maybe Ross will disagree when he thinks of server space , but the more evidence there is the better conclusions can be made.
No problems. If the space ever should be critical, we just erase all heaters, irons and other non-lamp stuff, and there will be room for plenty more lamps...
Quite right. I can see why you might have thought that because before launch day a few of us loaded the site with some of the best of our collections. As we are mostly long time collectors with extensive collections there was some rare and nice stuff posted. However we don't just want rare and unusual we want to see your stuff on here. I remember very well about 20 years ago meeting a guy in a steam rally car park who had brought his entire colection of 20 lamps to show me. At the time I hade maybe 300 in the collection. This guy had been collecting for about a year and just 20? Well in that 20 were 6 I did not have and three of those I have never seen or heard of before. So a small and new collection often has a little gem amongst the common. I remember well having a collection of 15 and being so very proud of them. Long time ago now but we all start somewhere. I now have near 750 but that is just the passing years and makes me pretty good at identifying stuff but it ain't clever it's just old age. So show us what you have. I don't care how common they are. We want as complete a reference as possible here and I don't want to miss any out because folk think everyone has this so I won't show it. Anyway even with common lamps there are variations that want showing. ::Neil::
Since we have some shade experts on here I'd like an opinion on this shade. I've thought that it's a "shade" too short, and unlike most miniskirts, perhaps should be a bit longer so the mantles don't show from straight on. Is this a concern? Stan
